A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
ifland ; and to the northward of the mountains that form the promontory
of cape Douglas is a lofty rugged ridge, that at a diftance feemed
to be detached, and to give an appearance of many openings in the coaft ;
but on a nearer approach it was found to be firmly connected by land
lefs elevated, and forming a deep bay between the cape and the lower
borders of mount St. Auguftin. This became the firft objeft of their
examination.
Light baffling winds rendering the progrefs of the veffel extremely
flow, a boat was difpatched to facilitate the operations of their furvey.
By noon the weather had materially changed ; a fwell rolled in from the
eaftward, and as this was attended by other indications of a return of the
fouth-eaft and eafterly ftorms, the boat was recalled, and the Chatham
flood to the northward, in the hope of finding fome place of Ihelter ;
but the wind being unfteady, and the tide felting fall; towards the low
fhores of cape Douglas, they anchored in 21 fathoms Water, foft bottom.
'Mount St. Auguftin bore by compafs N.-24W.; an appearance like a
harbour, -s. 83 w. ; the above low flat ifland from s. 39 E. to S. 7y £.,
diftant about a mile ; and a ledge of rocks ftretching from its nofth-eaft
point, N. 82 E. At low Water the extent of this reef Was very materially
increafed. A very uncomfortable night Was paffed in this expofed fitu-
ation, which however they had no means of quitting, becaufe it fell
calm, and continued fo moft part of the night ; yet the atmofphere bore
a very tempeftuous appearance, and they had a very heavy and irregular
fwell from the éàftward, which with the ebb tide detained them at anchor
until ten in the forenoon of the lft of may. In the afl of Weighing the
cable parted, by which unfortunate accident the anchor was irrecoverably
loft.
With a gentle breeze from the N. e. they flood to the Weftward in
order to examine the bay, and found the depth o f water to decreafe from
17 to 9 fathoms. At this time a long reef was difcovered, on which the
fea broke with great violence, extending from a low rocky iflet lying
before the apparent harbour above-mentioned. The Ihores of the bay
in moft direftions feemed to be compaft, but encumbered with large
rocks and ftones; this appearance induced Mr. Puget to retire fromfuch
1 dangers,
dangers, and to direft his courfe to the northward for mount St. Au- >794.
guftin. The depth of water was 10, 11, and 12 fathoms, on palling at 1 M‘y'
the diftance o f about 4 leagues from the bottom of the bay, which is
formed by an extenfive low country, lying between the bafe of the rugged
range of mountains before mentioned, and tire water fide. The
termination of this bay not appearing to have the leaft navigable opening
in it, a more minute examination was deemed unneceffary.
As they approached mount St. Auguftin it was found to conftitute a
very remarkable ifland, rifmg with a uniform afcent from the Ihores to
its lofty fummit, which is nearly .perpendicular to the center o f the ifland,
inclining famewhat to its eafternfide. The width of the paflage between
it and the main land is .about fix miles, through which they failed within
about half a league of the weftern fflore of the ifland in 7, 5, and 9 fathoms
water, and after palling its weftern extremity, anchored on the
north fide in 12 fathoms water, muddy bottom; the Ihores of the ifland
bearing by compafs from N. 65 £. to s. qw ,, the neareftfhore s. io e„
about two miles diftant, and its moft elevated part fituated in latitude
59?;22', longitude 207°.io', & 73.E.. This ifland is ftated by Mr. Puget
to be about 9 leagues :in circuit; towards the fea-fide it is very low, from
whence, it rifes, .though regular, with rather a 'fteep afcent, and forms
a lofty, uniform, conical mountain, prefenting nearly the feme appearance
from every point of view, and clothed down to the water's edge
with fnow .and ice, through which neither tree nor Ihrub were fcen to
protrude; fo that if it did produce any, they muft either have been very
fmall, or the fnow muft have been fufliciently deep to have concealed
them. The landing upon , this ifland was effefted with fome difficulty on
the ebbing tide, in confequence of the Ihore being bounded at the diftance
of a quarter of a mile by innumerable large detached rocks, through
which a paflage was found with much labour for the boat. Fragments
of rock fimilar to thofe which have been already defcribed, appeared to
lie off moft parts of the ifland, but no where at fo great a diftance as
from its northern Ihore.
In the evening Mr. Puget ftates that they were vifited by two Ruffians,
accompanied by a fmall party of the natives, whofe refidence was toward
the