'794' mafs extending in vaft abundance acrofs the paflage towards the north-eaft
J un e. . .6 . . ° .
«—--v---- ' point of the ifland, infomuch that it was with great difficulty the boats
could effeft a paflage. By noon Mr. Whidbey reached the weft point, (called
by me Poin t F rem an tle ,} of the entrance into Puerto de Valdes,
fo named by Sen'- Fidalgo, where the latitude was obferved to be 6o° 57',
longitude 213° 34'; from this point the arm or port abounding with rocks
took a direftion n. 33 e., for 12 miles; where-: a fmall brook,Tupplied by
the diflolving of the ice and fnow on the mountains, flowed into the
arm, which about 5 .miles from thence .terminated in an eafterly direftion,
in latitude 61° 7', longitude 2130' 56'. The head of this branch
of the found is under the fame parallel, and is expofed exaftly to the
fame foutherly afpeft, as that in which the party had beheld the great
fall of ice; and although thefe conftitute the northern limits of the found,
yet in this branch no ice had been feen, notwithftanding it is terminated
by fliallow water at its head, and is furrounded by Crnilar fteep frozen
mountains. The firft icy bay they met with was open to the eaft and
s. e . , nearly a degree to the fouth of the head of this branch, and the
fecond in the arm leading to Paflage canal was expofed to the north; but
in the bays on the fouthern fide of that canal no ice was feen, fo that it
was not an eafy matter to account for its partial appearance.
Early in the morning of the 11th they returned along the eaftern fide
of Puerto de Valdes, which- is from half a league t6 a league in width;
the ffiores are indented by fome fmall bays, and lined with rocky diets
and rocks. In this route they arrived at a point on the continent, lying
from the weft point of entrance into the port s. 85 e . , diftant miles;
where they found an opening about a mile wide that ftretched s. 33 e.,
and formed a paflage about 7 or 8 miles long, between the continent and
an ifland lying N. 19 w. and s. ig e., 7 miles in length, and- about 2
miles in breadth. Thefe ffiores, like thofe which the party had lately navigated,
abounded with rocks and rocky iflets; and on reaching the fouthern
part of this paflage, it evidently appeared to be the fame mentioned
by Captain Cook on the 17th of may 1778, which the matter of the Re-
folution had been fent to examine, and that Puerto de Valdes was the
arm
arm that had cccafioned at that time a difference of opinion in Lieutenant
Gore and Mr. Roberts.
The fouth point of this, which is Bligh’s ifland, being the ftation from
whence Mr. Johnftone had commenced his furvey, completed the examination
of the whole o f prince William’s found, as it refpefted the boundary
o f the continent; but the numerous iflands, iflets, rocks, and
ffioals, which are contained within this fpace, being confidered as fecon-
dary objefts, did not fall within the limits of our.fervice for accurately
afcertaining or delineating; yet thefe have been noticed with every degree
o f circumfpeftion, that circumftances, and the nature of our re-
fearches, would allow, ■ without fwerving from our principal objeft, viz.
the fwruey o f the Jhore o f the continent. For this reafon I ffiall here conclude
the report of Mr. Whidbey’s excurfion, notwithftanding that he
examined port-Fidalgo; but as. no new,matter occurred to him, it is un-
neceflary to recapitulate the former obfervations ; and as we had no further
bufinefs to- detain -us any longer in this fituation, we prepared to
take our departure, having during our ftay made the following aftrono-
mical and nautical obfervations.
By the rate of the chronometers as afcertained at the head of Cook’s
inlet, the longitude of port Chalmers was (hewn to be, on the 26th of
may, by Kendall’s chronometer, . . . 213° 30' .20}
By Arnold’s No. 14, . . . : 213 2250;
Ditto 176, - - - - 213 21 20
On the gth of june Kendall’s chronometer flopped, but on applying
a gentle horizontal motion, it was again put into aftion.
From the 26th of may to the 10th of june, No. 14, and No. 176,
were found to be going nearly at the fame rate as afcertained in Cook’s
inlet; hence the longitudinal diftance between Cook’s inlet, and port
Chalmers, may be confidered as pretty correftly afcertained; but as an
alteration was obferved to have taken place in their rate of going after
that time, the fevetal rates of the chronometers were afcertained by repeated
good-obfervations, made from the 10th to the 16th of june, both
days inclufive; and as the true longitude of port Chalmers, was found
B b 2 by