1794»
Julyv
e r d eNj where the oblerved latitude was 5&0 12, longitude 2250 7 •
At the diftance of 2 miles to the north-weft of this point* the party
palled a fmall cove with an ifland lying before it, and half a league fouth
of the point, a high barren rocky iflet.
The branch that had been thus navigated, was here about five or fix
miles wide, and at this ftation was united with a very extenfive arm,
taking a s . s . e . and n .n .w . direction. The latter becoming the firftob-
jeft of attention, the boats proceeded to the northward, along the Weft
tern or continental fhore, which in this neighbourhood conftituted a
narrow border of low land, well wooded with ftately trees, muftly Of
the pine tribe, behind which ftill extended a continuation of the lofty
fnowy mountains. About two miles to the north of point Couverden
were paffed one fmall ifland and three rocky iflets; one of which lies
nearly in mid-channel, and having advanced about 4 or g leagues up this
arm, the oppofite ftiore that had appeared to be compact now feemed
to be broken. The progrefs of the party in this purfuit was greatly retarded
by a frefh northerly wind, and a conftant ftream fetting againft
them, fo that it was noon on the 14th before they reached a point lying
N. 10 w. from point Couverden; where Mr. Whidbey oblerved the latitude
to be 58° 35'. From this point the eaftern there of the arm ftill
prefented the fame broken appearance, but j that along which they had
paffed was firm and compact, indented with a few coves, and fome iflets
and rocks lying near it. Both fides of this arm were bounded by lofty
ftupendous mountains, covered with perpetual ice and fnow, whilft the
Ihores in this neighbourhood appeared to be compofed of cliffs of very
fine Hate, interfperfed with beaches of excellent paving Hone. This
point forms a projecting promontory, about a league long, in a northerly
dire&ion, from which the continental fhore ftill continued in the above
line about nine miles, where, near a fmall brook, the party relied for
the night. Moll of the preceding day had been foggy and rainy, the
latter increafed greatly during the night, and detained them until , nine in
the forenoon of the 15th; when, having a.gentle breeze in their favor,
they proceeded along a ftraight and compaft Ihore, and by noon reached
a fmall iflet, where the obferved latitude was ^58° 54', longitude 224°
47'.
47'. This .iflet is about two miles from the weftern Ihore of the main
channel, which ftill continues to be five miles wide. Another iflet lies
to the north, between it, and the fouth point of an ifland about five
miles long and a mile broad, lying along the weftern Ihore, and forming
a channel that is about a mile wide, having at its fouthern entrance
lhoals that extend nearly from fide to fide. Up this channel the boats
paffed, and found the continental fhore now take a direction N. 22 w.,
nine miles from the above iflet, to a point where the arm narrowed to
two miles acrofs ; from whence it extended ten miles further in a dire&ion
N. 30 w., where its navigable extent terminated in latitude 59“ 12', longitude
224° 33'. This ftation was reached in the morning of the 16th,
after pafling fome iflets and fome rocks, nearly in mid,channel. Above
the northernmoft of thefe (which lies four miles below the fhoal, that
extends acrofs the upper part of the arm, there about a mile in width,)
the water was found to be perfeflly frefh. Along the edge of this fhoal
the boats paffed from fide to fide in fix feet water, and beyond it, the
head of the arm extended about half a league, where a fmall opening
in the land was feen, about the fourth of a mile wide, leading to the
north-weftward, from whence a rapid ftream o f frefh water rufhed over
the fhoal; but this, to all appearance, was bounded at no great diftance
by a continuation of the fame lofty ridge of fnowy mountains fo repeatedly
mentioned, as ftretching eaftwardly from mount Fairweather,
and which, in every point of view they had hitherto been feen, appeared
to be a firm and clofe-connefled range o f ftupendous mountains,
for ever doomed to fupport a burthen of undiffolving ice and fnow. It
was here remarked, that notwithftanding the quantity of frefh water
which flowed into this arm from the brook juft mentioned, the fhores
were perfectly free from fnow or ice, although they were three fourths of
- a degree to the north of thofe parts that had Undergone the examination
of the party in the early part of their prefent expedition, where
they had been much annoyed by ice, and it became another inftance of
the local exiftence of thefe fubftances.
It may reafonably be prefumed that this ftream is alone indebted for its
exiftence to the diffolution of the fnow and ice in its vicinity at this feafon