j794- continent. Cape Edgciimbe forms the north-weft point of a fpacious
t— ,--- ' opening, that branches into fèvèral arms, and is called by Mr. Dixort
Norfolk Sound; lts oppöfitè' of föuth-èaft point, which I have dif-
tinguifhed by the name of Poin t W ood hou se1, ties from thé cape
s. 50 É., at the diftance of fevferitfeeh miles. One óf thé northern
branches of the found, by its communication with the bay of Iflands
makes, it feems, the intermediate part of the fca-coaft an ifland. On
the northern fide of the found, two leagues within cape Edgcumbe,
are, what appeared to us, two iflands, and n.n.w . from point Wood-
houfe, lies an extenfive group of iflets and rocks that extend three Or
four miles from the fhore, which, from that point, with little variation,
takes a courfe s. 36 E. This part of the coaft is much broken into
fmall openings, with iflets and detached roeks lying off it. We had advanced
about fixteen miles only from point Woodhoufe: at eight in the
evening, after which, the night waS paffed in ufing our endeavours to
retain our ftation near this part of the èöaft ; but we found óurfélvës on
Thurfdayji. thurfday morning, much fhrther from the land titan we had expefted ; we
had, however» a favorable brëeze from the weftward, with which' we
flood towards the fhóré, but the wëather becoming thick and foggy, we
were under the n'ecèffity to haul off the coaft until ten in the forenoon,
when the land being again vifible, about four miles-from us, wérefumed
our examination, paffihg fbme fmall op'eniftgs, with feveral iflets and detached
rocks lying near to them; but o f which we were precluded any
diftinft view by the hazinëfs of the weather.
This difadvantagë had attended us almoft generally fince our departure
from Crofs found, and although I have reafon to believe that we
had nearly afcertained the general line of the coaft, yet it is poffible
that there may be openings or harbours that we were unable to notice,
as circumflances would not admit of our devoting fufficient time to a
more minute examination.
By noon we had paffed the fouth extremity of this archipelago, which
was now found to ftretch a few miles further fouth than Mr.Whidbey
had eftimated; our obfervations placed it in latitüde 5(3° 10', longitude
225° 37-i'. It conflitutes a very remarkable promontory, that terminates
in
in a high bluff rocky cliff, with a round, high, rocky iflet lying dole to
it, and by its fhores on its eaflern fide taking a fharp northerly direSion,
it becomes a very narrow point of land, which having been feen by
Captain Colnett in his mercantile expedition to this coaft, was by him
named Cape Ommaney, and the opening between it and cape Decifion,
Chriftian Sound.
Our conjectures of foon finding a port in this neighbourhood, did not
long remain unconfirmed, for after advancing 7 or 8 miles' from cape
Ommaney, we difcovered on the eaflern fhore of the archipelago an
opening that took a fouth-weft diredlion; and as it appeared likely to
anfwer all our purpofes we worked into it, with a frefh breeze direftly
againft us until feven in the evening; when we anchored off a cove about
half a league within the entrance of the harbour. On friday morning the
i f t o f auguft the veffels were moored head and flern in this cove, there
not being fufficient room for them to fwing; and whilfl thofe on board
were fo employed, accompanied by Mr. Whidbey and Mr. Johnflone,
(who were each to undertake a diflinft expedition, and by which means
we entertained the hope of being enabled to conneCl the furveys of the
prefent, with thofe of the two preceding feafons) I rowed to the entrance
of the port, in order to be better able to arrange the mode of conducting
that fervice: this appeared to be no difficult tafk, as there were two
given points before us, and both were nearly in view. The one was cape
Decifion, where our examination of the continental fhore had finifhed
the former feafon, and the other was point Gardner, from whence Mr.
Whidbey had returned on his laft excurfion from Crofs found. Mr.
Whidbey was directed to recommence his refearches from that point,
whilfl Mr. Johnflone proceeded to cape Decifion, there to begin his examination
along the eaflern fhore of the found northward, until the two
parties fhould meet, or be otherways informed by notes which each party
was to leaye in confpicuous places for the government of the other,
defqribing the extent of their refpeftive furveys.
The fpace now to be explored occupied about a degree of latitude,
and although I hoped that the examination of it with tolerable weather,
-would not employ the boats more than a week; yet in order that it fhould
M m 2 not
Jnly.