1 7 9 4 . fucceeded by a light breeze from the e . n . e . ; another gun was now fired,
Oftober. ^ a ya]fe gre burnt as a fignal to our confort, but neither was anfwered.
After repeating thefe fignals in the fame manner at three o clock on fun-
Sunday 19. day morning to no effefi, we made all fail, fteering to the s . s . e . At
day-light the high land over Nootka and Clayoquot, Was ftill in fight,
bearing by compafs from N. 6 w . to e . n . e . ; our diftance from the coaft
was 10 or 12 leagues. The foundings we had gained at midnight at the
depth of 135 fathoms, proved to be at the diftance of about 7 leagues
from point Breakers, and fomething more from the general line of the
coaft to the eaftward of that point. This I confidered to be the edge of
a bank of foundings that appeared to lie along the coaft, which commenced
a-breaft of cape Lookout, and terminated a little to the northward
of Nootka. Near the entrance of De Fuca’s ftraits it feemed to
ftretch further into the ocean, as at the diftance of 8 leagues from thofe
ftiores wehad only 58 fathoms water, with muddy bottom.
In looking round for the Chatham a vefiel was difc-overed a-ftern, for
which we immediately fhortened fail, but foon finding it to be the Spanilh
Ihip Prmcifla, we again directed our courfe as before with all fail fpread
to a pleafant eafterly breeze and fair weather; with this favorable weather
we were not long indulged, for in the evening the wind veered to the s .s . e .,
Monday 20. and by monday in the afternoon, increafed to fo ftrong a gale as to oblige
us to clofe-reef our topfails. The wind fixed in the fouth-eaftern quarter,
and became variable, with fometimes dear, and at others cloudy weather:
this gale did not reduce us below our topfails, although we plied not only
againft it, but againft a very heavy fouth-wefterly fwell to fo little pur-
Friday 24. pofe, that by noon o n Friday we had by our reckoning (for we were unable
to gain any obfervation) only reached the latitude of 470 12, longitude
2320l 2,. I n the evening the wind veered to the-S. s. w . , with which
Sunday 26. we made a tolerably good progrefs to the fouth-eaftward until funday
morning, when it became light and variable, with alternate calms, and a
very heavy fwell from the w . s .w .
This uncomfortable weather was fucceeded by a frefti breeze from the
n. e ., which as ufual veered to the s. E. on monday morning, and in the
afternoon increafed to a gale fo violent, as to make it neceffary that we
fhould
fhould ftrike the topgallant-mafts, and bring to, under the ftorm ftayfails;
this gale was attended with an extremely heavy rain until midnight, —v— '
when the ftorm fuddenly moderated, and the wind veering to the s. w.
we flood to the s. £. under our courfes and clofe-reefed topfails.
The obferved latitude on tuefday was 44° 14', longitude by account Tutfday 28.
233° 27'; in the afternoon all our canvas was again fpread, but by wed- WcdneC 29,
nefday morning the wind had again refumed its fouth-eaftern direftion,
with hard fqualls and heavy rain, which again reduced us to the forefail
and ftorm ftayfails.
Since our departure from Nootka we had conftantly been incommoded
by a very heavy wefterly and fouth-weft fwell, which at this time was
greatly increafed, notwithftanding the fea, raifed by the violence of the
Wind from the fouth-eaft; thefe together caufed a very confufed agitation
of the ocean, and although the Ihip was made as fnug as poffible by
the topgallant-mafts being ftruck, and by every thing, that conveniently
could be taken from aloft, yet fhe was extremely uncomfortable, and
fhipped great quantities of water. About noon the gale moderated, and
on the wind returning to the S. W., we again made fail to the fouth-eaftward.
The afternoon was tolerably fair; vaft flocks of wild geefe and
ducks were obferved, flying to the fouthward, which indicated that in a
more northern climate the winter had fet in with much feverity.
The wind, although variable between s. e. and s .w . was moderate,
with fre'quent calms, and the weather, comparatively fpeaking with that
we had fo recently experienced, might be confidered as tolerably fair, N o v em b e r .
notwithftanding which, we made little progrefs until monday morning, Monday 3.
when the wind feemed fixed in the north-weft quarter, with very pleafant
weather. To this favorable gale we fpread all our fails, fteering for .
cape Mendocino; the fouthern promontory of which, at noon, bore by
compafs s. 51 E., and with the coaft to the north of it, in fight to the
N. E„ was about 9 or 10 leagues diftant. The obferved latitude 40° 42',
longitude according to our former calculations of the fituation of cape
Mendocino, 235° 30', the variation 14“ eaftwardly.
At this time the longitude by the chronometers agreeably to the Nootka
V o L. III. T t rate,