92 A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
> fbuthernmoft part of the coaft in fight, bore by compafs s. 28 w ., the
1— v— -> ifiand of St. Hermogenes, from s. 56 w . to s. 89 w. ; the wefternmoft
mountain feen over cape Douglas, N. 81 w . ; and the barren ifles n. 55 w.
In this fituation the obferved latitude was 58° 14', and the longitude
deduced from very fatisfactory obfervations both before and after noon,
209° 25% ■ From this authority cape Greville appeared to be in latitude
57° 3450 longitude 208“ 26'; and the fouth extreme of the ifiand St.
Hermogenes, in latitude 58° io f', longitude 208° 56'. The variation in
• the afternoon was 21* 37' eaftwardly.
Thefe pofitions o f longitude vary materially, from thofe affigned by
Captain Cook; but as fimilar differences occurred afterwards in other
inftances, I fhall for the prefent decline making any comments on this
fubjeA.
Saturday 12. With the wind chiefly at well, by faturday noon we were faff approaching
the coaft to the eaftward of cape Elizabeth, which then bore
by compafs N . 84 w . ; the barren ifles, s. 55 w. to s. 34 w . ; the north-
ernmoft part o f the coaft in fight, n. 26 E., and the neareft fhore, N. 6 w .,
five or fix miles diftant; here we -had foundings in 70 fathoms water,
fendy bottom, and by an indifferent obfervatioi) the latitude was 590,
longitude 209° co'". J he top o f high water appeared to be at noon, as
at that time no effefl was felt from a tide; but immediately afterwards
we were driven at a confiderable rate to the eaftward, until half paft one,
when, on a breeze fpringing up from that quarter, we fleered for cape
Elizabeth, and paffed that promontory, and entered Cook’s river about
half paft five. The coaft is compofed of high land, before which lie
three fmall iflands and fome rocks; the cape is itfelf. the largeft, and the
moft weftern of thefe iflands, which appeared to afford a navigable channel
between them and the main land, nearly in an eaff and weft direftion;
though between the cape and the middle ifiand fome low lurking rocks
were difcerned, which had the appearance o f being conneAed with a
clufter of rocks above the furfaee of the fea, lying from the cape s. 50 £.,
at the diftanceof three, or four miles. To the fouth-weft of the middle
ifiand is another clufter of rocks, both above and beneath the furfaee of
the water.
The
R O U N D T H E W O R L D .
The thermometer now varied between 40 and 45; and the fnow, excepting
in the deep chafms o f the rocks, was melted to a confiderable
height on the fides of the hills, which being well wooded, affumed a far
more cheerful afpeft than the country to the fouthward. Spring leaned
to be making fo rapid a progrefs here,, that we had every reafon to
indulge the hope of being able to carry our refearches into execution,
without any interruption from the feverity of the feafon.
As I had determined to commence our furvey on the weftern fide of
the river, as far up that fide as the wind now at n. n . E. would permit us
to fetch; we proceeded in queft o f fome convenient ftation for the (hip,
from whence two boat parties might be difpatched, the one to examine
the Chores, fouth ward to cape Douglas, the other to precede the Chip in
our route up the river.
For the firft time this feafon we noticed fome flocks of wildgeefe, and
could not avoid remarking, that they all flew to the fouthward, contrary
to what might have been expelled from the advanced ftate and mildnefs
of the feafon; which however on funday morning fuffered a very mate- Sunday 13 ,
rial alteration, as the wind came to the ;Nl Ei. and was attended by afharp
froft and a very heavy fall of fnow. On leaving the eaftern fhore the
depth of water gradually increafed from 25 to fathoms, fine fandy
bottom in mid-channel, and then decreafed again as we approached the
weftern fhore, which about fix was indiftin&ly perceived through the-
falling fnow; and being then in 2b fathoms water, we anchored until the
weather fhould prove more favorable to our purfpit,J In this fituation we
remained, without being able to difeern the adjacent fhores, until the following
forenoon, when the weftern horizon became clear, and fhewed us. Monday 14.
cape Douglas bearing by compafs s. g e . ;- mount St. Auguftin, s. g w. ;-
the northernmoft land in fight, N. gw. ; and a low point, s.31 w. ;
from whence the fhores to the fouthward fell fo far -back to the weftwtfrd,
that we could only diftinguilh the fumraits of a range of lofty disjoined
mountains intirely covered with fnow, that feemed principally to occupy
the {pace between that low point and cape Douglas, but at the fametime
gave the country an appearance in this -point of view of being,
greatly .divided by water. From- thence to the -northward, excepting.
.a fmall open bay abreaft of us with two. rocks lying before its entrance,.
the