■
Aÿnt !î fo>' “ was: infinitely a c r e dangerous to contend with than a mere fpit
i.. —,—■ > of fimd, and: renders our prefervation a moft providential, event.
We continued to take advantage of the: ftbdd fide, and flood to wind-
Fuday 18;, ward'until about feveff the next morning,, when on the: ebb making, we
anchored off the eaflern fide of the ifland, in 14 fathoms water, ftony
bottom, about a league from its ffiore; along which extends a continuation
of the fhoal about two miles from the ifland.
I fliould be wanting in juftice to our Indian paffengers, were I to omit
ftating their docility and refpeftful behaviour whilft they were on board ;
as alfo the anxiety they expreffed for our fafety, left the veffel whilft
ftriking Ihould break to pieces; and the real fatisfeftiorr and happinefs-
they exhibited on being given to underftand that we were again in perfect
fe'curit-y.
The weather now, though extremely cold, (the mercury Handing at
25) was very cheerful, and afforded us am excellent view of the fur-
rotinding region, cbmpofed, at a little diftance from the river, of ftu-
pendous mountains, whofe rugged and romantic forms, clothed in a perpetual
fheet of' ice and fnow, prefented a prûfpeft, though magnificently
grand, yet dreary, cold, and inhofpitable. In the midft of thefe appeared
the volcano near the fumroit of which, from two diftinS craters
on its fouth-eaftern fide, were emitted large' columns o f whitifh fmoke;
unlefs, as was fuppofed by fome on board, it Was vapour arifihg from hot
Springs in that neighbourhood:;- but how far this conjecture was confif-
tent with the feverity of the ciitaafe at the top of that lofty mountain,,
is not within the limits of my judgment to détermine.
About ten in. the forenoon, we were furprized by a much earlier return
of the flood tide than we had expefted, with which, and a light variable
breeze, we dhefted our courfe to the northward. In the afternoon
the wind blew a fteady breeze from the n , n . w., which enabled us to,
reach the narrows by fevënin the evening. On. the return of the ebb.
we became again ftalionary in 17 fathoms water. Here the Ihores of the
river were comparatively low, or only moderately elevated, jutting out:
into: three remarkable fteep cliffy points. Thefe I diftinguifhed by the
names of the W e s t , . N o r t h . and E a s t F o r e l a n d s ; the two former
are
are on the weftern, and the latter on the eafiern, fliore; which, from the:
. ftation we had taken, bore by compafs as follow : the weft Foreland,
forming the fouth-weft point of the narrows, s. 28 w., about four miles
diftant'; the north Foreland n. 4 e . ; and the eaft Foreland, farming the
north-eaft point of the narrows, n:.y d E.
Here we were, vifited by two o f the. natives, in a fmall flrin canoe,
who underftanding what reception their' countrymen had met with,
folicited the fame indulgence; their canoe, was accordingly taken in,
and they were permitted to remain on board. One of thefe, whofe name
was Sal-tart, pofleffing fome apparent fuperiority over the reft, prefented
me with fome martin flcins, and received in return fome iron,
beads, a few other trinkets, and a fmall quantity of fnuff and tobacco,
all of which he feemed to value very highly.. Thefe people appeared to
be acquainted with the Ruffians; of whofe language they feemed to fpeak
feveral words ; but our very confined knowledge of that, a«, well as our
total ignorance of their native tongue, prevented our acquiring the information
which, from the intelligent appearance of thefe very civil and
well-behaved firangers,we might otherways-have been enabled to obtain.
The ebb tide ran at the rate o f five miles per hour ; and at half paft
one on faturday morning the flbod returned with equal rapidity; and
having by three o’clock increafed with a velocity that the heft bower cable
was unequal to refill, it broke, and the buoy finking By the ftrength
©f the current, the anchor and cable were irrecoverably loft. This
was an accident- that gave- me very ferious concern, fince our flock of
thefe- important fto-res was already, very much reduced. As it was now-
becoming day-tight we proceeded up the river, with the .flood tide and
a light variable breeze in the northern quarter, attended with very fe-
Vere weather; the mercury being at 18. We kept near the weftern fhore
tn avoid being entangled with the fhoal on which the Refolution had
grounded,, and by that means loft much of the influence o f the flood ;
f© that on the ebb making about feven o’clock, we had not advanced
more than-2 leagues. Here we again anchored in 13 fathoms water;:
the weft Foreland by compafs bearing s. 14E., diftant nine miles ; the-
north Foreland n. 35 e . ; the eaft Foreland s. 61 e . ; and the volcano s-,
‘ ■794- Aprii.
1----vr--- ■'
Saturday iq ,
IS W«o