298
179-1- the land, and confequently from the inevitable deftruffion that mufl have
. Aus_ft' . followed. A very heavy welternfwell at this time broke with great fury
not h alf a mile from us'; and as no anchorage, or even-bottom could be
found, our lituation for fome time .was moft ferioufly alarming; from
which however, we were moft providentially extricated, by a gentle
breeze fpringing up from the N. w „ when in the moft perilous and critical
ftate that can be imagined.
This breeze by two in the morning, enabled us. to gain a fufficient dif-
tance from the fliore, to allow the boats, which had been employed in
towing the fhip from the rocks, to be taken on board. In the execution
of this bu-finefs we had the misfortune of lofing Ifaac Wooden, onë of
the cutter’s erew, who unfortunately fell overboard ;, and although a boat
was inftantly fent to his affiftance, yet as he was no fwimmer, and as in
falling he unluckily ftruck his head againft the boat’s gunwale, hé funk
fo immediately that no help could be afforded him. This poor fellow
had affifted in moft of the boat excurlions, was highly regarded by his
comrades, and much ' regretted by his officers ; in fhort, he was a good
man, andian affive failor; and to commemorate his unexpefted and melancholy
fate, I named the roek which lies off cape Ommaney, W o o d e
n 's R o c k .
A t day-light we had a frefh gale from the N. w., and having now finally
accomplifhed fo much’ of my commiffion, as appertained to the difcovery
of any navigable water communication, from the north pacific into the
interior of: the American, continent, my attention became .direfted to the
adiuftment of thofe differences that had ,arifen in my négociation with
Sen'- Ouadra as to the ceffion of Nootka ; under the idea that a fufficient
time had= now elapfed, fince the departure of Lieutenant Broughton, for
the arrival of the neceffary inftruffions at that place, by which I might
be enabled to regulate my future conduct, with refpefl to the reftitution
of thofe territories;
In this expectation our cotfrfe was direfted- fouth-eaftward towards
Nootka, paffmg about 3 leagues to the weftward of the Hazy iflands ;
thefeform a group of fmall rocky iflets a league^in extent, lying s. 7 e .,
at the diftance of. 16 leagues from cape Ommaney ; s. 62 w . from cape
3 Decifion ;
Decifion, and 3 leagues weft from-Coronation ifland, which is the near- A^ _
eft land to them. A t noon the fouthernmoft land in fight, being C" de -v ’
St. Bartolom, forming the north point of entrance into Puerto del Bay-
lio Bucareli, and discovered by Sen'- Quadra in 1775, bore by eompafs
s..g7 E. ; the. neareft fliore was a confpicuous promontory, which I
diftinguifhed by the name of C a p e A d Oin o t o n . after the fpeaker of
the Houfe of Commons, N, 73 e „ diftant 4 or 5 leagues; Warren’s
ifland in the entrance of Clarence’s ftrait, N. 9 e . ; mount Calder, n . 1 e . ;
Coronation ifland, N. 13 w. to- N. 30 w . ; and cape Ommaney, N. 44 w .
In this lituation the obferved latitude was 55° 29I', and the longitude,
agreeably to the pofition of feveral confpicuous ftations as fixed by former
obfervations,. and now very accurately correfp.ondmg, was found to-
be 223? 58'; but by the chronometers, allowing, their rate and error as
afcertained. at. port. Conclufion,. the longitude was by Kendall’s chronometer
226° 4'- by Arnold’s No. i 4, 226° 3' 45", and by No. 176,, 226” 15'
30";; hence it would appear,- that fome alteration in their rate of going
had taken, plaee-fince the laft obfervations were made in port Conclufion,
on. the evening of the 18th; and particularly m No. 176, which it is ne-;
ceffary to remark, had for the. purpofe of obferving, .with, been there taken
on fliore. .
In the afternoon we paffed- O' del Sr. Bartolom, which; according to
our obfervations, is fituated in latitude: 55° From
this-cape,, in a direHion s. 21 e . at the- diftance of 14 miles, and 12
miles, from the neareft part of the contiguous fhore, lies a-very low flat
rocky- iflet, furrounded by rocks-and-breakers, that extend fome diftance
from it; fromthefe circumftances, and from its being fo far diftantfrom the
main land, it is rendered-one of the moft dangerous impediments to navigation
thatwe had met with on the exterior coaft; and hence it obtained
the name of the. W o l f R o c k . S. 11 w . from this rock, at the diftance
o f 3 leagues, lies a fmall high ifland, named by Mr. Dixon, Forrefter’s
Ifland; between - thefe. we palled, and fo far as we became acquainted
with the channel, it appeared to be clear and free from interruption.
After paffmg Forrefteris ifland, o u r courfe was direfted towards the Monday ,*
n o r th -w e f t point. of Queen Charlotte’s-iflands,, with an intention of examining
their exterior coaft, for. the purpofe o f con-effing any error that
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