*794* but as we Dill continued to make fome progrefs by turning to windward;
c,— ^ — > I was willing to keep under weigh as long as the day-Kght laded, efpe-
cially as we found tolerably good foundings on the Montagu ifland fide of
the channel, to the north of a point which I have called P o'int B a z il ;
in latitude 60“ 1 '; but fouth of that point towards the anchorage we had
. quitted, no bottom could be reached with 6b to 80 fathoms of line, within
a mile of the fliore. Having it thus in our power to anchor when and
where we pleafed under a weather fliore, we remained under fail until about
ten o'clock, when a hidden flurry of wind, through a vein occupying fcarcely
a greater fpace in width than the length of the fliip, vented its whole fury
upon us with fuch immenle violence, that although the topfails were
down before it was at its height, we expeQed all the mafts would have
gone over the fide; but fortunately we efcaped with the lofs of the foreyard
only, and the fplitting of moft of our fails then fet; and being at
this time not far from the fliore of Montagu ifland, we anchored in 15
fathoms water, ftruck the topgallant-mafts, and replaced our damaged
fails. During the night the wind blew very hard from the E. w. e ., at*
Friday 23. tended with fqualls, hail, and rain; but in the morning of the 23d, the
Weather in fome meafure becoming more moderate, Lieutenant Swame
with the carpenters and a party of men were fent on fliore in queft of a
fpar for a fore-yard, which was procured almoft as Toon as they had
landed; this they had my direftions only to rough fquare in fuch a way
as to allow of its being ufed for the prefent to carry us to Chalmer’s harbour,
where I purpofed the fliip fliould remain, whilft the boats were
employed in exploring the navigable extent of this opening. And as Mr.
Portlock found the rife and fall.of the tide in that harbour fufficient for
laying the veflels under his directions aground, I was in hopes of being
enabled alfo to examine the Difcovery’s bottom there; and although we
had no reafon to be apprehenfive that (he had fuftained any material damage
by the feveral accidents of getting on fliore, yet fuch an examination,
when a convenient opportunity might offer that did not interfere
with the other operations of the voyage, could-not fail being very de-
firable and fatisfaftory.
The
The carpenters having done every thing then needful to the fore-vard,
■ it was got off and rigged; and in the forenoon of the following day, the
gale being fucceeded by a light breeze from the north, though Dill attended
with rain, we weighed and plied to windward, but made little
progrefs. The wind died away about nine in the evening, when we anchored
for the night in 20 fathoms water, foft bottom. On funday
’ morning a light breeze fprang up from the N. N. e ., nearly in the direction
of our courfe to Chalmer’s harbour; with this we plied, and about
fix in the evening reached our deftined port. Our progrefs had been
materially retarded by the unfteadinefs of the wind, and by two fhoals,
fltuated nearly in mid-channel, between the fouth point of the harbour,
and a rugged rock that lies about, a mile from the eaft fide of the largeft
of Green iflands. We fuddenly came upon the moft fouthern of thefe
fhoals, in a depth from ig to 6 fathoms, without there being any weeds,
or other indications of fhallow water; but on the other, which fhoaled
equally quick, was a fmall patch of weeds growing in 3 fathoms water,
with 5 and 7 fathoms clofe around it. Each of thefe appeared to occupy
no greater extent than the fhip’s length in any direflion; between thefe
fhoals and the Green iflands we found a channel, in which we turned to
windward until we could fail into the harbour. The Chatham did the
fame .between them and Montagu ifland, without noticing thefe fhoals;
and had we purfued the fame route, they would in all probability have
Dill remained undifcovered. As we approached the entrance of the
harbour, a flrong tide or current fat us fo faft to the fouthward, that we
had nearly been driven paft the entrance ; and although the tide was now
riling, this ftream had not the leaft perceptible indraft into the harbour,
nor did its influence feem to extend within what we called the S o u t h P a s s
a g e R o c k , lying from the north point of the harbour weft, fomething
more than a mile diftant; and from a fmall woody iflet, lying before the
entrance of the harbour, n. 15 w., about three quarters of a mile. We
pafled on the north fide of this rock, and to the north of us was another,
that obtained the name of N o r t h P a s s a g e R o c k , lying in a direction
from the north point of the harbour, if. 26 w., diftant 2-i miles,
and w. s. w., three quarters of a mile from the fouth point of what Mr.
Portlock
Sunday 25.