C H A P T E R , X.
Proceed to the fouthward along the exterior, coaft o f King George the Third's
archipelago—Arrive in port Conclujion— TranfaBions there— Two boat
excurftons—Complete the furvey o f the continental Jhores o f North-Wejl
America—Agronomical and nautical obfervations. .
m o U R attention being now directed to the furvey of the exterior coaft
TaSayTff. of George the Third’s archipelago, at the dawn of day, on the 29th,
with a frefh wefterly breeze, we made fail along the lhore, to the fouthward
; cape Crofs bearing by compafs, N, 68 E., diftant four or five
miles. From this cape the coaft takes a direftion s. 31. e ., about 7 leagues
to another promontory, that obtained the name of C a p e E d w a r d ;
off which lies.a duller of fmall diets and rocks. ..The .coaft between
thefe capes is much broken, and has feveral openings in it that appeared
likely to afford Ihelter; but the vaft number of rocks and fmall diets,
fome producing trees, and others intirely barren, that extend to the
diftance of three or four miles from the lhore, will render the entering of
fuch harbours unpleafant and dangerous, until a more competent knowledge
of their feveral fituations may hereafter be acquired : that which
appeared to be the eafieft of accefs, lies about two leagues to the northward
of cape Edward, and as it is in latitude 57° 44*’ I was hd to con-
fider this opening as Portlock’s harbour. We did not reach cape Edward
until the afternoon, as the wefterly breeze was foon fucceeded by
faint variable airs, that blew direftly towards the lhore, which was vi-
fible only at intervals, owing to the thick foggy and rainy weather, and
which rendered the view we had obtained of this part of the coaft, by
no
no means fatisfaftory. During the night the wind fettled in. the weftern ‘ 794-
quarter,, notwithftanding; which, by its blowing gently, our diftance from *
the lhore, was increafed to about 3 leagues, and at day-light the next morn- " ' ’ 3°1
ing, cape Edward bore by compafs n . 27 w., diftant twelve miles; from
whence the. coaft. bends more to the eaftward, and takes a direftion about
s. 30; e., to a very confpicuous opening, which I fuppofed to be that represented
in fome late publications, as feparating the land on which mount
Edgcumbe is fituated from the adjacent Ihores, and named the Bay of Illands
by Captain Cook, who imagined at the time he paffed it, that fuch a reparation
did exift. We were oppp.fi.te, to this bay about eight in the morning,
but the. intermediate fpace, between die .bay of Illands and cape Edward
was paffed in very.thick, foggy weather; this difadvantage, in addition to.
the diftance we had been from thqland, may fubjeft the delineation of that
lhore to fome error. Near the land forming the fouthern fide of the bay
o f Illands arefeyeral fmall illets, and from the fouth .point of the bay, which
I called P o i n t A melia,; the coaft extends s. 5 e., li-xteen miles, to
cape Edgcumbe, having nearly in die middle of that fpace an opening,
with two fmall illets lying.,before it, and prefenting an appearance of a
good harbour, which I called Ppm; "Ma r y ; the other parts, of the
coaft that were paffed at the diftance of abput a league, are indented
with, fmall open bays. !.
As the.day advanced a brifle gale; from the n .w . attended us, with
fair and pleafant weather, which enabled us to afeertain the fhip’s fix a tion.
At'-noon the latitude was found to be 57°g f , longitude 2240 19'.
The molt northern part of the coaft at this time in fight bore by com-
pafs n.n.w . ;. port Mary N. 22 e., eight miles diftant; and cape Edgcumbe
s. 80 e ., four, or five miles diftant. This cape, by the fame obfervations
was found to be in latitude 570 2, longitude 224 25-3, which
is one mile • to the, fouth and eighteen miles and an half to the ealt-
ward of its fixation, as Hated by Captain Cook. We had now alfo a
very good view of mount Edgcumbe, and notwidiftanding that it mull
be confidered as high land, , yet it was intirely free from fnow, and
feemed to us but.,an inconfiderable hill, when compared with die
mountains we had generally feen, extending along the Chores of Uns
V ol. III. M m . continent.