Our fair and pleafant weather ceafed with the wefterly wind ; this was
fucceeded irt the afternoon by a heavy and gloomy atmofphere, particularly
over the land, which, excepting on the border'and lower hills,
was enveloped in a dreary obfcurity ; the wind was light in the fouthern
board, an'd enabled us to make fome little progrefs along the coaft, and
though we increafed our diftance from it, yet the depth of water decreafed
to 35 fathoms ; the night was moftly calm, or attended with light1 vari-
Saturday 28, able winds, and the depth of water from 35 to 49 fathoms: By noon the
next'day the wind blew a frelh gale from the N.E., accompanied with fqualls
and paffing {no®ers of rain. The obferved latitude 59° 51'; the-longitude
2i8°i7', thedepth”of water was about 30 fathoms-; in this lituation thedand,
though but indillinftly feen, Wore by compals as follows'f the wefterrimoft
part w. by N.; the above low projefting-point, being the neareft Ihore,
N. 25 w., qjght miles dillant; a high abrupt cliffy point forming the
weft point of a bay, bounded by a folid body of ice or frozen fnow,
; N . i'i z . From the eaftern tide of this icy bay, the coaft, formed of
low, or rather moderately-elevated land, extended to N . 64 E . ; beyond
which, high dillant fndwy mountains were feen -n. 67 e.
,£«Agamft thefe adverfe winds," which almoft conftantly attended us, we
Were obliged to ply; but as at times they, varied their direfilion a little,
we gained fome fmall advantage, fo that by ten o’clock on funday fore-
nooifwe tacked in 23 fathoms; within a league, of the ealt point qf the
above icy bay, which I named Poin t Rtou. It is low, well wooded,
with a fmall iftet detached at a little diftance to the weftward of it. ’ Eaft-
4^,; ward from the fteep cliffs that terminate this bay, and from whence jhe
ice defcenrls into the fea, the coaft is again compofed of a fpacious margin
of lo’w land, riling with a gradual and uniform afcent to the foot of
the ftilh connefled chain of lofty mountains, whofe fummits are but the
bafe from whence mount St. Elias towers, majefticallyjconfpicuous in regions
of perpetual froft. The obferved'latitude at noon was ^9“ 45',
longitude'219° 0'; in this* fituation the wefternmoft land in light by
compafs bore N:8gw;; point Riou, N . 2§fvv.; 'dillant 9 miles;'from
whence low land extended to N.g£i: The wind Hill continued in the
| eaftern board, but was no longer favorable to our progrefs; for in turning