Thurfday24.
from the (hip’s anchorage the depth of water had gradually' increafed to
10 and 15 fathoms, until he had reached the points of entrance, between
which he had found 20 fathoms, and within them from 26 to 10 fathoms,
but this depth was by no means regular. He had then directed his re-
fearches fome diftance further up the branch than the boats from the
Refolution and the Difcovery had penetrated in the year 177S, and
found all the (hores round to the northward compofed of compafl low
land; and unlefs the branch took a very (harp turn to the ealt or s. e.-, -it
had every appearance o f terminating not many miles beyond the extent
of his examination, in a fpacious bafon or harbou-r.
This account difappointed my expectations, as it was not eafily reconcilable
with the idea we had formed of the; interior diftance to which we
lhould be led by the waters of this extenfive opening. The prefumption
that our progrefs would fpeedily be (topped, became by this information
very ftrong; but as that point remained yet to be proved, I was determined
to perfevere in my former intention, and weighing with the flood
about five in the evening, we (leered for the bafon or harbour defcribed
by Mr. Whidbey; and which, although by his account capable of affording
us protection and fhelter againft the winds or the fea, did not promife
any very agreeable communication with the (hore. Our progrefs was
uninterrupted, and having about nine at night reached the limits o f Mr.
Whidbey’s examination, we anchored near the eaftern fide of the harbour
in 7 fathoms water, black fandy bottom.
The weather was fair the next morning, and at low'tide a dry fhoal
was feen ftretching from a high cliffy point to the northward on the eaftern
(hore, where the river took an eaftwardly direftion. This fhoal
feemed to be connefted with the cliffy point, and to be fome feet above
water, forming as it were a ridge that extended towards the north-weft
or oppofite fhore, and was apparently united to that fide alfo; at any
rate, it was evident that if a channel did exift it could only be a very narrow
one, and our curiofity became greatly excited by the appearances before
us. For our fatisfaftion in this particular, and for the purpofe of
finding a more convenient ftation for the (hip, and a fupply of frefh water,
I made an excurfion after breakfaft, accompanied by fome of the officers.
- We
■ We had not long quitted the (hip, before We found a ftream of excellent
water on the eaftern fhore, which, with little labour in clearing
away the ice, could b e . very conveniently obtained. Our attention was
now principally direfted, to a bay or cove, that feemed to be fituated to
the fouthward of, the cliffy point before-mentioned, where I entertained
hopes, of finding a - commodious refting place for the fhip, free from the
inconvenience of the drifting ice, which feemed likely to occafion us
much annoyance. On reaching the fouth point of this bay, we obferved
near the edge of the fteep cliffs that form it, fome houfes; thefe we vi-
fited, but found them fcarcely more than the fkeletons of habitations,
that had apparently, been fome time deferted. The large ones were four
in number, ,of a different fliape and conftruction to any of the houfes of
the North Weft American Indians we had yet feen. One of thefe was
twenty-four feet.long, and about fourteen feet wide, built with upright
and crofs fpars, had been covered in with the bark of the birch tree, and
when in good repair muft have been a very tolerably comfortable dwelling.
Their fhape refembled that of a barn, the fides perpendicular
about nine feet high, and die top of the roof about four feet higher,
which inclined uniformly from the fides until it met in the middle. Befide
thefe there were two or three fmaller tenements or hovels half under
ground, and built more, after , the prevailing fafhion of the native inhabitants
of thefe regions. This circumftance, in addition to the fpars of
which the larger houfes were formed, having all been cut down by axes,
and evidently by perfons accuftomed to fuch tools, induced us to fuppofe
that this village had been the refidence of a party of Ruffians, or fome
other European vifitors, not only from the confirmation of the larger
houfes,-but from the circumftance of thefe Indians not having .yet been
induced to make the leaf! ufe of the axe, but univerfally preferring and
ufing iron tools in the form of the knife or chifel.
From hence we proceeded to the examination o f the bay. On founding
from point to point, the dpepeft water was not found to exceed from
4 to 5 fathoms, and this nearly at the top of the flood. And. as the.
rife and fall pf the tide according to our menfuration was not lefs than 4
fathoms, this' part qfothe bay muft neceffarily be nearly dry at low
p 2 ' water.