junt an intelligent man, and foon comprehended the objeft o f our vifit
* ■ ■ v •—* and inquiries in this part of the world, and that I much wilhed to fee
a Ruffian chart of their modern difeoveries in this ocean. This wiffi he
faid could be eafily gratified as he had fuch a chart at port Etches, which
had been recently conftrufted, and fent from Kamtfchatka; this he
w ry civilly offered to fetch, and after taking fome refreffiment he departed
for this purpofe, leaving his companions behind.
A continuation of the fair weather greatly promoted all our operations,
and amongft others afforded us an opportunity o f airing and lifting
the little gunpowder we had now remaining.
Sunday 3. On funday the wind blew freffi from the northward, with bright
glaring weather. In the forenoon Mr. Johnftone and his party returned,
after having completed the examination o f all that had fallen within
the limits of his direftions, on the infide of the found; but the extremely
bad weather had fo retarded the progrefs of the party, that they
had been prevented from carrying into execution the propofed furvey
along the exterior coaft, without obtaining a further fupply of provilions,
having been abfent three days longer than the period for which they had
been provided. The following is the manner in which they had been
employed during their abfence from the ffiip.
On the evening of the day they departed, they reached the north-well
point of a fmall illand, fituated about two miles to the fouth-weft o f the
fbuth point o f Snug-corner cove. Here Mr. Johnftone was to commence
his furvey; but not having a Iketch of that part of the found
with him, nor recollefting any illand fo fituated, he was at a lofs to
determine, whether a point lying N. 49 e . about half a league diftant,
or a point at the diftance of two leagues in a north direftion, was the
point from which he was to take his departure ; but as an extenfive opening
led to the north-eaftward between thefe points, in order to avoid the
chance of its efcaping unexamined by himfelf or Mr. Whidbey, Mr,
Johnftone rowed over to the latter, where the party relied for the night;
which was extremely gloomy and attended with fome rain.
A t four o’clock in the morning of the 28th of may their furvey commenced
from the land on which they had refted; this proved to be
1 an
an illand, and it received the name of B l i g h ’ s I s l a n d . They now
fleered for a point lying from its fouth point n . 30 e ., diftant four
miles and an half. This point Mr. Johnftone fuppofed, as it was afterwards
proved, to be on the continent; between it and Bligh’s illand
were fome fmall illets and rocks. From this point, fituated in latitude
60°50', longitude 213° 51', forming the weft point of a fmall bay about
two miles deep, in a n . n . e . direction, in which there are two fmall illets
and a cove near its eaft point, lying from the weft point s. 80 e . two
miles diftant, they continued along the larboard or northern ffiore of the
opening noticed the preceding evening as extending to the north-eaftward.
This was found to wind in that direction about leagues, and
then to terminate in a direftion s. 65 e ., 2 - leagues further, in latitude
60° 55', longitude 2140 35'; its width in general being upwards o f two
miles. Towards its upper part were fome illands, and had the weather
been fair inftead of extremely gloomy and rainy, the adjacent
Country would probably have afforded a very pleafant profpeft, as the
Ihores were in general low, and bounded by a pebbly beach, from
whence the ground rofe with a gradual afeent; was free from fnow, and
had a verdant appearance; it was pleafingly diverfified with trees, chiefly
of the alder kind, which grew with confiderable luxuriance. Thefe occupied
extenfive plains along the borders of the fea, beyond which rofe
a chain of lofty mountains buried in perpetual froft and fnow. Their
refearches in this arm engaged moll of the day, and the next morning
they returned along its fouthern ffiore.
This fpacious inlet, and particularly its north-eaftern part, had been
vifited by Sen'- Fidalgo in the year 1790, for the purpofe of inquiring
into the nature, extent, and fituation of the Ruffian éftabliffiments in
thefe regions. This gentleman paid much attention to geographical ob-
jeéls, and gave names to feveral places. His inquiry having been made
prior to our furvey, I have continued the names fo given; but as his own
does not appear amongft the number, I have, in order that his labours
may be commemorated, diftinguiffied this branch by the name of P o r t
F i d a l g o .
‘ 794-
J une.
Y 2 The