Monday 21.
The weather was calm and ferene, though intenfely cold, and the ebb
tide obliging us to remain ftationary, afforded a good opportunity for
making fuch obfervations as were become requilite; by thefe the latitude
was found to be 61° 10', longitude. 210°; and the variation in fix
fets of azimuths, by two compaffes, Ihewed the mean refult to be 29° 48'
eafterly, differing very materially from our laft obfervations, notwith-
ftanding that the two ftations were not go leagues apart; the latter however
I confidered to be the molt correft. In this fituation, the north
Foreland bore by compafs s. 28 w . ; the neareft Ihore s. 74 w., about a
league off; the ifland lying before the river Turnagain, N.gg-E.; the
entrance of that river, N . 70 e,; point Poffeffion, j j . 87 and the volcano,
s. 15 w., diftant 32 leagues. Favored with the flood tide and a
foutherly breeze, about three o’clock we refumed our courfe as before-
mentioned, and had foundings from 13 to 17 fathoms until feven in the
evening, when we fuddenly came into 6 and 4 fathoms; but on hauling
a little to the fouth the water again deepened to 6 fathoms, in which we
anchored. The weft point of entrance into the northern branch o f the
river, by compafs bore N. 48 e ., 5 leagues diftant; its eaft point, N.55 k.;
Turnagain ifland, from N. .63 e. to eaft, and point Poffeflion, ,s. gg E„
diftant 10 miles. Four large .pieces of ice were aground to the north of
us; and as we were about 4 miles to the north of Captain Cook’s track,
and a league to the fouth of the fhoal laid down by him as extending
from the northern Ihore, I confidered the fhoal we had anchored near,
to have been one that had efcaped his notice.
The wind blew a ftrong gale in the night from the N . N. w ., the weather
was intenfely cold, attended with a heavy fall of very fmall hard
frozen fnow, that prevented our feeing far about us until monday afternoon,
when the weather clearing up about the time :of low water, our
•fituation was difcovered to be about a quarter o f a mile from an iexten-
five dry Ihoal, bearing by compafs from, s, 74 w . to n . 54 E ,; evidently
-connected with,' and lying along themorlhern Ihore of, the river, which
was at the diftance of about five miles, and had the appearance, by the
direftion it took, of joining on to the weft point of its northern branch.
This left no doubt of its being the fame Ihoal as that delineated in Captain
' Cook’s
Cook’s chart, although by our obfervations, both the fhoal and its ad- 1794-
joining fhore feem to lie fpme miles further to the fouth than is there 1 1
, reprefented.
. The weather continuing to be fair, and having a commanding breeze
from the n.n. w., we proceeded to the ,north-eaft along the edge of the
fhoal in foundings from 13 to 19 fathoms water, until about four o’clock,
when the depth again decreafed to 6~ fathoms. We flood towards
Turnagain ifland, but not finding a deeper channel we anchored, in order
to examine the paffage before we fhould proceed further. On this
fervice Mr. Whidbey was difpatched at day-light the next morning with T ut fda y 22.
two boats, and he returned about noon, having found in the channel a
depth of water frpm 7 to 17 fathoms, the deepeft water being on the
ifland fide.
At four in the afternoon we weighed anchor, with the flood and a
.light wefterly breeze; but our fails had not fufficient influence to act
againft the ftrength of the tide, which in fpite of every .endeavour to the
contrary preffed.us toward the fhoals, forming the northern fide of the
channel; here the fhip grounded for a fhort fpace of time, and again
floated without occafioning us the leaft trouble; the wind from the
weftward becoming at this juncture fomewhat more powerful, we hauled
.acrofs the channel into 7 fathoms water, where we again anchored, having
now advanced as far as the paffage had been examined.
A favorable change had. this day taken place in our climate; the mercury
in the thermometer had rifento 36, the weather was ferene, the air
.comparatively mild, and we again flattered ourfelves that a more temperate
feafon was at length approaching.
The .next morning we difcovered ou the furface of the water innu- Wedncf. 23.
merable large pieces of floating ice, which were drifted by the rapidity
pf the tide with great violence againft the fhip’s bows, but fortunately
they were not of fufficient magnitude to do us any injury. They however
prevented the boats being hoifted out Until eight o’clock, when
Mr. Whidbey again proceeded in queft of a convenient ftation for the
.fhip, within the entrance of the northern branch; thisfervice engaged
him uptil two in the afternoon, when he returned, and reported that
Von. III. p fforo