'ƒ91' depart from fome particular point on the eoaft, fhape a courfe by the
_. / land, and never fail to hit upon fome part of the Ihoal; and hence arifes
the probability of its being extenfive, as has been already mentioned.
PortofF alfo Hated, that in the north-well part of Controller’s bay, a
river like Riko malo unala, emptied itfelf over thofe Ihoals. This I had
likewife underffood to be the café from Mr. Sotyloffi, but I left that cir-
cumftance to be decided by the Chatham.
The weather in the forenoon fell calm with fliowers o f rain, attended
with a rolling fwell from the s. w . ; at noon, point Latouche bore by
compafs n . 34 w . , a league;and ahalf diffant; theneareftfhore n . 45 e .,
two miles- diffant; and an. opening in a low Ihore, which commenced
about a. league from point Latouche, taking a direflion s. 14 e., bore by
compafs s, 78.E. Shortly after noon the boat.that had been fent to explore
Digges’s found returned, and Mr. Puget, became informed, that it
was clofed from fide to fide by a firm and compaft body of ice, beyond
which at the back of the ice a fmall inlet appeared to extend N..55 E.
about a,league; The depth o f water at the entrance of the opening is
great, and-on-its north-eall fide is a bay which afforded good anchorage,
but had a mod dreary afpehl from its vicinity to the ice; notwithfianding
which, vegetation was in an advanced llate-of forwardnefs.
From the time, of the Chatham's arrival off point Manby. to this ffa-
tion, the-foundings were at .firll from .60 to 40 fathoms, and then 35 .to
20, 13 and 30 fathoms. Digges’s found was the only, place in the bay
that prefented the leall profpefl-of any interior navigation, and this was
neceffarily very limited, by- the clofe connected range of lofty fnowy mountains.
that flretched along thecoafl at no great diffance from the fea fide.
Mr. Puget’s; attention was next-direfled to the- opening, in the low land,
but as the wind was variable and adverfe to the progreis of the veffel, a
bjpat was again difpatched to continue the inveffigation of thefe fftores;
which are comp aft from point Latouche, and were then free from ice.
This opening was found to be formed, by an idand about two miles long,
in a direflion S.50E. and N.50W., and about a milè broad, .lying at
the dillance of about half a mile from the main land. Oppofite to the
fouth part , of this, named by Mr. Puget K n i g h t ’s I s l a n d , is Eleanor’s
nor’s cove, which is the eaftern extremity of Beering’s bay, in latitude ‘W-
59° 44 > longitude 220° 51'. Knight’s illand admits of a navigable paf- i---- -—
fage all round it, but there are fome rocks that lie about half a mile
from its welt point,' and there is an illet fituated between it and the main
land on its north-eall fide. From Eleanor’s cove the coalt takes a direction
s. 30 w., about fix miles to the eatl point of a channel leading to the
fouth-well, between the continent and fome iflands that lie off i t ; this was
confidered to lead along the Ihores of the main land to point Mulgrave;
and in the event of its proving navigable, the examination o f the bay
would have been complete, and the veffel brought to our appointed place ol
meeting, which was now fuppofed to be at no very great dillance. At this
time about fifty canoes of Portoff’s party were about the boat, the Indians
in which carried on an advantageous commerce in purchafing white
Hurts, flockings, cravats, and other parts of the officers apparel, (which
comforts were readily parted with) for fuch things as were deemed curio-
fities, confifling of bows, arrows, darts, fpears, fifh-gigs, whale-gut
Hurts, and fpecimens of their very neat and curious needle-work; articles
with which thefe people, though at fo great a diHance from home, were
well provided, in expeftation o f finding a profitable market before they
•returned. In all their dealings they manifefled great keennefs, and feemed
to know very well what they were about; yet. they dealt with the flriftefi
honefiy, and with the moH implicit confidence of being fairly treated.
During this intercourfe, two of the native inhabitants of the bay paid
the Chatham a v ifit; and after the ufual ceremonious fong was ended,
they repaired on board without the leafl hefitation. A few prefents of
iron, looking-glaffes, and other trinkets, feemed to have the effeft of
making them feel perfectly eafy and at home; not a moveable efcaped
attention, but underwent a moH minute examination.
In the evening, the Kodiak and Cook’s inlet party, having finilhedtheir
commercial, hub nets very fatisfa&orily; Portoff, after diff ributmg a few
pinches of fnuff to fome, and filling the boxes of others, formed them
into three di'vifions, and difpatched them all in queff of fea otters: on
this fervice they departed with the greateff cheerfulnefs, whilff Portoff
G g 2 ’ remained