17r - Having now concluded Mr. Broughton’s very interefting account
Pecs"' eri o f thé river Columbia, and the adjacent country; I lhall in the next
chapter proceed with the tranfaftions of the Daedalus ; and, in the firft
place, notice Mr. Whidbey’s account of Gray’s harbour; where, although
he was longer detained from us, he had not an opportunity
of employing his time to fo much advantage in geographical purfuits as
Mr. Broughton; the regions allotted to his examination having been
found of very limited extent.
CH A P T E R
C H A P T E R IV.
Mr. Whidbey’s account o f Gray’s harbour— TranfaRions o f the Daedalus at
the Marquefas, and at fome newly-difcovered iflands— Murder o f Lieutenant
Hergejl at Woahoo— Arrival o f the Dcedalus at Nootka.
A t fun-fet, on the 1 8th of oftober, the Daedalus anchored before the D ' 79^
entrance of Gray’s harbour, in 7 fathoms water, about half a mile <
from the reef that extends from the north point o f entrance; a boat was
fent to examine the paffage into this harbour, but returned with little
more information than that o f its being'very intricate, and that it would
require much time to become acquainted with it. A t day-light the next
morning, a boat was again fent for the fame purpofe, and afterwards
the fhip was got under weigh, in order to be in readinefs ; but the boat
not returning, another was difpatched at noon, and at three o’clock
both returned; the firft having been detained by the ftrength of the
flood tide. From their report the fhip immediately bore away, and
palled a bar in eighteen feet water. The bar extends direftly acrofs the
entrance into the harbour, which is about a mile wide; from .whence
they proceeded up the channel, formed by two reefs about three quarters
of a mile afunder, extending into the ocean from the points of land
which form the entrance into this harbour. Here the depth of water regularly
increafed from 4 to 11 fathoms, but the ebb tide made fo ftrong,
that although the fhip went nearly at the rate o f five knots, little
progrefs was made; this compelled them to anchor about feven o’clock
m the latter depth, having a clear fandy bottom. The outer breakers,
on the reef forming the northern fide of the paffage, bore by compafs