iJay.' reg>ons, and alfo concerning the navigable extent of the inlet; but all his
—----- ' inquiries proved unfuccelsful, as the Ruffians either could not. Or would
not, comprehend any of thole queftions. On their departure they very
obligingly took charge o f a letter which Mr. Puget had addrelfed to me,
communicating the information of the Chatham’s arrival, and the plan
of operations he intended to purfue.
The wind, which had veered in the night to the n.e., fell calm
early in the morning of the 13th, and was attended by a very heavy fall of
fnow; which continued, notwithftanding a fine breeze fprang up about
noon from the n.w ., with which their courfe was ftill direfted towards
the weftern fhore, in the hope, that fome interval of clear weather would
enable them to find ffielter, in the vicinity of the place where their fur-
vey was intended to commence. But as a ftrong ebb tide fat out from
that fhore, and as the wind had Ihifted more to the weftward, with an
appearance of very unfettled weather, Mr. Puget, was induced to Hand
over towards cape Elizabeth ; as the fhores there were known to afford
both ffielter arid anchorage, to which it was highly important to refort,
until the feafon ffiould be more propitious to the arduous talk of dif-
covery.
The obfcurity produced by the falling fnow, rendered their fituation
very irkfome and unpleafant as they approached the eaftem fide of
the inlet, efpecially as at this time they were threatened with a ftorm.
At length they difcovered that they had entered a bay to the north of
cape Elizabeth, with the appearance of a harbour to the eaft, and a
cove before them on the northern fide, that promifed to afford fecure
anchorage. For this they immediately fleered, and paffed fome funken
rocks that lie about a quarter of a mile from the fhore. Here they felt
the influence of a very ftrong flood tide from the eaftward, through the
channel formed by the iflands lying off that fhore, which, having met
with fome oppofing current, appeared like breakers, extending nearly
half way acrofs the entrance into the cove ; and although the depth was
not lefs than 14 fathoms, yet fo violent was the agitation, that the cabin
windows were obliged to be fecured by the dead lights. The cove having
the appearance of being an eligible retting place until the weather
2 ffiould
ffiould permit them to become better’:'acquainted with the adjacent <794.
fhores,' they worked in, and anchored in 5 fathoms water, fandy bottom'. ■ »
The fouth-weft point of the cove, in a line with cape Elizabeth, bore by
compafs s. 5 w . ; a narrow channel leading to fea between the iflands and
the main land, S.48E.; the bottom of the cove, n. 67 w . ; andthenear-
eft fhore s. 57 w., a quarter of a mile diftanL
, The .very menacing appearance of the weather in the afternoon, directed'them
to lofe no time in fear.ching for a place o f greater fafety; and
about four o clock a boat, that had been lent on this fervice to the north-
eaftward, returned with the very pleafant intelligence,. that at not' more
than half a league from the. cove there was a harbour, affording every
ffielter and protection that could be required. During the abfence of
the boat the gale, as well as the fall of fnow, had greatly increafed, and
both were ftill increafing; : the wind however was! favorable to their proceeding
to this retreat, at which they foon arrived. It proved to be' a
perfea-bafon, and they anchored in it at a convenient diftancefrOm the
fouthern fhore. ' To having thus providentially gained this protefted
fituation, they probably owed their prefervation; for durino- the night
they : had a very, heavy fall of fnow, attended by a moft violent ftorm
from the fouthward, and an intenfe froft, the thermometer being at 2bt
To the fury of this , ftorm they ,would have been very dangeroufly exi
pofed at their former anchorage, for notwithftanding that the very fnug
nation they had now taken was not more than three hundred yards from
the weather fhore; yet fo violent. Was the gale, that they were obliged to
let go a lecond anchor to prevent theivelfel from driving.
The wind m the morning had much abated of its fury, but the fall of
fnow and the feverity of the froft ftill. continued.. This inclemency of
the weather did not prevent the vifits of the natives. About twenty-fix
of thefe good people, in fmall fkin canoes, approached the Chatham with
; 0™e little, caution. All the party, excepting one canoe, flopped at the
entrance, of the harbour until this one had reconnoitred, who meeting
with, an, agreeable reception, the appointed fignal was made, and the
others tyithout further hefitation inftantly repaired alongfide,' and were
admitted on board. . . ° ..
HI. ' ' S m ' /■ ' i . ''V
1 heir