A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
December. N- E-were from 8 to 10 fathoms, but on the oppofite Chore the depth
o f water did not exceed 4 fathoms, one third o f the channel over. After
advancing about 2 leagues the land became high and rocky on both fides ;
here a well-wooded ifland, about a league and a half long, divided the
dream, and afforded a good paffage on each fide o f it ; the deeped is on
the n. E. fide, in which was found 10 and 12 fathoms water. About a
league pad th e rs.E. point o f this ifland, which received the name of
P u g e t 's I s l a n d , the river continued its direftion to latitude 46“ 16', longitude
236° 50'-; where it took a Chort turn n. 56 e . for about a league ;
at this turn a fmall river prefented itfelf, which Mr. Broughton named
S w a in e’s R i v e r . In this neighbourhood they were joined by fomeof
the natives in four canoes. Their clothing was chiefly deer Ikins, though
a few had garments made o f fea otter Ckins. Thefe good people fold the
party a few fifh, and then took their leave. Their language was fo totally
different from that of the other American Indians, that not a Cingle word
could be underdood. The Chores abounded with fine timbers, the pine
predominated in number on the . higher lands, but near the banks of
the river grew aCh, poplar, elder, maple, and lèverai other trees unknown
to the party. The ebb tide rendered their progrefs very flow;
and it was evening before they arrived at the end o f the above-mentioned
north-eadwardly reach. On the northern Chore was feen a village of the
natives, who evidently folicited the landing o f the party; butchoofing to
wave their civility, they proceeded up the river, which took a direction
s. 62 E. from the village palling fome iflands lying in the middle o f it ; thefe
occupy about two miles ; their eadernmod point is about a league from
the above village, and after the fécond lieutenant o f the Difcovery, they
were named B a k e r ’s I s l a n d s . The bold northern Chore now became
low near the banks o f the river, and rofe high again, at a diflance, in
a gradual afcent. Mr. Broughton eroded over half a mile to the eafl-
ward of Baker’s iflands, to a highbluff point named by himPoiNT S he r
i f f , where good Chelter for the night was found on a fandy beach. A t
this time they had gained only 22 miles after rowing twelve hours. The
river here was about half a mile wide, and the bed channel from point
Sheriff was found along the fouthern Chore.
Nine
Nine canoes, with a number o f Indians, took up their lodging in a ‘ 79*-
fmall creek at a little diflance from the party. This circumdance ferved •
to convince Mr. Broughton, that the further he proceeded the more the
country was inhabited. A t firft their warlike appearance produced fome
fmall degree of caution: but this was afterwards, by their orderly behaviour,
proved to have been unneceffary. From ten in the morning,
when it appeared by the Chore to be high water, the party had rowed
againff the dream to their landing place, where, although the tide continued
to rife until midnight, the dream had ran up only two hours.
A t feven the next morning (oftober 27,) with the dream dill running
down very rapidly, they proceeded in their examination, pafling to the
north of a fmall woody ifland, which, after the furgeon of the Chatham,
was named W a l k e r ’s I s l a n d . The foundings were from 4 to 7 fathoms.
About ten o’clock the tide was flowing fall according to the appearance
o f the Chore, and, for about two hours, the dream favored their
progrefs; after this, great delay and much fatigue was endured, by a drong
ebb tide and a freCh eaderly wind. The nine canoes attended them, and
as they paffed fome fmall creeks and openings on the fides of the river
their numbers kept increafing.
Eadward from Walker’s ifland and nearly into mid-channel a bank
partly dry extends for 2 or 3 miles, but admits of a clear paffage on either
fide ; the paffage to the fouth, being the wideft and deeped, has 5 or 6
fathoms water. After palfing this bank, the channel continued on the
fouthern fide/-with foundings from 6 to 10 fathoms. They now again
■ approached high land, and on the northern Chore was a remarkable
mount, about which were placed feveral canoes, containing dead bodies ;
to this was given the name o f M o u n t Co f f in . About a mile to the
eadward of mount Coffin, their Indian attendants flopped at a Angle hut,
but Mr. Broughton continued rdwjng until three in the afternoon; when,
having inereafed their diflance only g miles from point Sheriff, the
party flopped to dine on the fouthern Chore. This was high and rocky,
and terminated the direftion o f this reach, in latitude 46° 5', longitude
237° 1 1 > from whence the river ran s. 1.8 E., and the Came depth o f water
continued. The northern Chore, infte-ad of being the fleepeft, now confiff-
I 2 ed