1775- The S. E. coaft of this land, as far as we faw it, lies in the
direction of S. 50° Eaft, and N. 5 0 ° Weft. It feemed to form
Monday i«, feveraj bays or inlets; and we obferved huge maffes of
fnow, or ice, in the bottoms of them, efpecially in one which
lies ten miles to the S. S. E. of Bird Ifle.
After getting through the paffage, we found the North
Coaft trended E. by N., for about nine miles; and then Eaft
and Eaft foutherly to Cape Buller, which is eleven miles
more. We ranged the coaft, at one league diftance, till near
ten o’clock, when we brought to for the night, and on founding,
found fifty fathoms a muddy bottom.
¥ttefdav 17. At two o’clock in the morning o f the 17th, we made fail in
for the land, with a fine breeze at S. W.; at four, Willis’s Ifle
bore W. by S., diftant thirty-two miles ; Cape Buller, to the
Weft of which lie fome rocky iflots, bore S. W. by W .; and
the moft advanced point of land to the Eaft, S. 63° Eaft. We
now fleered along flhore, at the diftance of four or five miles,
till feven o’clock, when, feeing the appearance of an inlet,
we hauled in for it. As foon as we drew near the fhore,
having hoifted out a boat, I embarked in it, accompanied by
Mr. Forfter and his party, with a view of reconnoitring the
bay before we ventured in with the fhip. When we.put o ff
from her, which was about four miles from the fhore, we
had forty fathoms water. I continued to found as Iwent
farther in, but found no bottom with a line of thirty-four fathoms,
which was the length of that 1 had in the boat, and
which alfo proved too fhort to found the bay, fo far as I went
up it. I obferved it to lie in S.W. by S. about two leagues, about
two miles broad, well Iheltered from all winds; and I judged
there might be good anchorage before fome fandy beaches
Which are on each fide, and likewife near a low flat ifle, towards
Wards the head of the bay. As I had come to a refolution
not to bring the fhip in, I did not think it worth my while to
go and examine thefe places; for it did not feem probable that
any one would ever be benefited by the difcovery. I landed
in three different places, difplayed our colours, and took pof-
feffion of the country in his Majefty’s name,under a difcharge
of fmall arms.
I judged that the tide rifes about four or five feet, and that
it is high water on the full and change days about eleven
o’clock.
The head of the bay, as well as two places on each fide,
was terminated by perpendicular ice-cliffs of confiderabkr
height. Pieces were continually breaking off, and floating
out to'fea; and a great fall happened while we were in
the bay, which made a noife like cannon.
The inner parts of the country were not lefs favage and
horrible. The wild rocks raifed their lofty fummits, till
they were loft in the clouds, and the valleys lay covered
with everlafting fnow. Not a tree was to be feen, nor a fhrub
even big enough to make a toothpick. The only vegetation
we met with, was a coarfe ftrong-bladed graft growmg
in tufts, wild burnet, and a plant like mofs, which fprung;
from the rocks.
Seals, or fea bears, were pretty numerous. They were
fmaller than thofe at Staten Land 1 perhaps the moft of thofe’
we faw were females ; for the fhores fwarmed with young,
cubs. We faw none of that fort which we call lions but
there were fome of thofe which the writer of Lord Anfon’s-
Voyage defcribes under that name ;■ at leaft they appeared!