1794.
A p r il.
<—
the fhores appeared to be compaft, and the' furface of the country ‘de-
fcending 'rather abruptly at firft, admitted near the watet-fide, a narrow
border of low land ; this was eovefed with Wood, which Continued
to grow fome diftafice up the fidés "of the mountains, which" were very
lofty and rugged; and above the line where" vegetation ceafed were wrapped
in perpetual-fnow.
Whilh we had à clear and diflm6l; view of every thing-invthe weftern
quarter, the oppofitë fide of the horizon was ‘totally obfcured from our
•fight by k-dark mifiy -haze.-" We had, "howeverj by intervals, of clearer
Weather, been enabled to form fome idea ..of our fituatipn, and of. the
coaft to the fouthweftward,-which I now confidered as lying behind us.;
the broken and infular appearance of which gave me reafori" to expefl the
examination of it would be a laborious talk, notwithftahding that the
range of mountains that bounded our horizon, in that direflion, admitted
of a -ftrong prefumption that the whole might be clofely connefled
by land, not fiifficiently elevated to be v-ifible at our remote diftance. -
As I concluded the Chatham could not be far behind, if Ihe had not
already preceded us ; and as I had particularly direQed that the furvey
fhould commence at cape Douglas, I had little doubt, on our meeting,
that any thing would be left unexamined in that quarter : but Ihould it
fo happen, that any further inquiry might be deemed neceffary, and that
-we Ihould be obliged to return by the fame route, the fummer feafon in
that cafe would be more advanced and more favorable to our refearches
in that region, which is ex-pofed to all the influence of the" oceanic winds
and waves; and in the prefent inclement weather would be a very hazardous
undertaking in our open boats, the only means by which, .from
experience, I was confident this objeft could now be accomplifhed. To
avoid, therefore, as much as poffible, any delay, : or mifapplication of
time, I determined to proceed up the river, keeping clofe along its
•weftern Ihore, and forthwith to purfue our inveftigation to its navigable
extent.
Agreeably to this determination, being favored with the flood tide,
although not a very rapid one, we fleered to the northward until about
three in the afternoon ; when, on meeting the reflux, we anchored
about
about a league from the weftern fhore, in 20,-fathoms water, foft fandy *794.
bottom. The latitude, by double altitudes, was 60° 1T. The froft ftill
continued; the wind was moderate, though variable, attended with a
very heavy fall of fnow, and an unpleafant fwell from the s. e . Thefe
combined circumflances detained us. at anchor until the next day in the Tutfday 1-,
afternoon, when we took the advantage o f the latter part of the flood-
tide, but advanced only a few miles before the ebb obliged us again to
anchor in 25 fathoms water, foft bottom. Here the weftern fhore was
bounded by lofty rugged mountains, between the bafës of which and the
wat-er-fide was a margin o f low, or moderately elevated, wood-land
country. Two fmall openings were obferved, the northernmoft, being
the largeft, appeared to be a found, winding towards the foot of the
volcano, which, from its apparently clofè conneflion with the neighbouring
mountains, probably gave the limits to its extent. Thefe openings
we left for the examination of Mr. Puget, not eonfidering them
fufficiently important to retard our progrefs, efpecially as the appearance
of the atmofphere indicated a favorable change in the weather.
The fnow had ceafed to fall, and, excepting fome dark clouds between
the n .n .e . and N.w., the fky and horizon were perfectly clear, and-
gave us, for the firft time fince faturday night, a diftant view of the-
fouthern parts of the eaftern fhore; the night, however, was attended
with the fevereft froft we had yet experienced, the mercury fell to 23,
and although the weather was clear and cheerful the. next morning, yet
the air was fo exceffively keen, that the fun’s rays had no effect on the
thermometer. We weighed about ten in the forenoon, with the flood- Wednef. t6,
tide, and a light breeze from the n .w ., and proceeded up the river;
the mercury at noon had rifen to 26“, the obferved latitude 6o* lT , longitude
208“ 23^, and the variation in the forenoon was obferved to be-
23-46' eafterly, which I confidered as.too little, notwithllanding that the-
obfervations were very carefully made. Our courfe was dire&ed between
the weftern fhore and the low ifland near it mentioned by Captain
Cook. , *
Shortly after noon, we Were vifited by three of the natives, each in
a fmall fkin canoe, w ho. without the. leaft hefitation made their canoes.-
fhft