C H A P T E R VIII.
Mr. Puget's narrative o f his tranfaMions andfurvey o f the coajl, between
Prince William’s and Crofs founds; during the Chatham sfeparation from
the Difcovery.
July. rJ['H E Chatham on the 1 2th of june got clear of Prince Vv illiam s
'---- ^ ’ found, and her courfe' was directed round cape Hinchinbrook along the
eaftern fide of that ifland, at the diftance of about a league from its
(hores ; thefe were fomewhat irregularly indented with fmall bays, taking
a direCHon N. 53 e ., about feventeen miles to point Bentinck. . About
2 miles to the fouth of that point, commences the Ihoal noticed by Mr.
-Johr.flone, as extending acrofs to the oppofite continental thore of the
palfage, that he attempted to pafs. This fhoal, not only formed a barrier
to that palfage, but ftretched in an eaftwardly direClion along the exterior
continental thore, at the diftance of about five miles, without having either
break or opening in it. Mr. Puget proceeded along this Ihoal at the
diftance of about two miles from the breakers, the depth from 7 to g
fathoms; and having now advanced about 10 or 11 miles from point
Bentinck, the Ihoal, - which was chiefly compofed of a dry barren fand,
thqugh in fome places producing a litde verdure, took a more foutherly
turn, and increafed its diftance from the high land, which extended in a
more northerly line: that of the Ihoal was about s. 41 e ., along which,
Mr. Puget fleered at the diftance of about a league; the depth of water
varying from 4% to 9 fathoms. By nine in the evening, he had advanced
7 or 8 leagues along the Ihoal, when the favorable breeze being fucceeded
b y light baffling winds, and thick hazy weather, he was obliged, to haul 1 0 0 _tr
off under an eafy fail, with intention of renewing the examination the ' 0 . July.
next morning. This fhoal was obferved to fhoot put into ridges of high ‘— -y— J
fand, ftretching from 3 to 6 or 7 miles from the main land, which in fome
places is compofed of a low Ihore, in others of fteep abrupt cliffs ; the
whole apparently was well wooded, and in -two places it had the appearance
of having fmall inlets at the back of the Ihoal; but the clofe connected
range of lofty fnowy mountains, running nearly parallel to the coaft at.
no great diftance, plainly lhewed the limits of their extent, befide which
there was no channel through the fhoal, by which they could have been
approached. Towards midnight, the wind .and weather became more unfettled,
and at Iaft produced a ftrong gale from the eaftward; this induced
Mr. Puget to ftand to the fouthward, left it fhould have proved the
forerunner of one of thofe very unpleafant eafterly ftorms we fo frequently
contended with, and which had fo much retarded the progrefs
of our refearches in thefe regions; but in the forenoon of the 13th, the
wind became fteady, and the weather being tolerably well fettled, the
Chatham again flood to the northward, and by four in the afternoon
was again in fight of th e . continent, prefenting- a low fhore, which by
compafs bore from n . w . to n. e . In about an hour foundings were
had at the depth of 20 fathoms, and fhortly after the fhoal was again
feen extending along the coaft, of which the Chatham was within about
2 miles at feven o’clock, and being at this time in 6 fathoms water fhe
tacked. The fhoa) here formed one connected, barrier along the coaft,
extending by compafs'from N. 66 E. to s. 76 w., as far as could be dif-
cerned in either .point of view; and as the veffel was-now, not more than
2 or 3 leagues to the fouth-eaftward of the place .from whence fhe had
hauled off the preceding-evening, there could not be the leaft doubt of
this being a continuation of the fame fhoal bank.
The weather being fair, afforded a good opportunity of feeing the
adjacent fhores. At the time Mr.' Puget tacked, , the ifland lying to the
north-weft of Kaye’s ifland, which he named W ingh am I s l a n d , bore
by compafs N. 87 E. to N. 81 e:, two rocky iflets lying off the north-weft
point of Controller’s bay, which after Sir Henry Martin, I called P o in t
M a r t i n , and is fituated in latitude 60° 13-t', longitude 21 -5° 36'; bore,.
V ol. III. F f the