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Friday 10.
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Weft by Weft, where it was loft; in the horizon ; and behind
it was h igh land, that appeared in detached hills.
Th u s the fine profpedt w e had o f getting to the North
vanifhed in a moment. I flood on till nine o’clock, fo r fo
long it was light, and then the point above mentioned, bore
North Eaft h a lf Eaft, about three miles diftant. Behind this
point is a river, the entrance o f w hich feemed to be a mile
b ro a d ; but I can fay nothing as to its depth. T h e water
appeared difcoloured, as upon fhoals, but a calm wou ld
have giv en it the fame afpedl. It feemed to have a w indin g
dire ¿lion, through the great fiat that lies between the chain
o f mountains to the South Eaft, and the hills to the North,
Weft. It muft abound w ith falmon, as we faw many le a p in
g in the fea before the entran ce ; and fome were found in
the maws o f cod w h ich w e had caught. T h e entrance o f
this river, diftinguilhed b y the name o f Brijlol River, lies
in the latitude o f 58* 37V and in the longitude o f 301* 55'.
Having fpent the n ight in m akin g fliort boards ; at daybreak
on the morning o f the 10th, w e made fail to the Weft
South Weft, with a gentle breeze at North Eaft. At eleven
o’clock, w e thought the coaft to the North Weft terminated
in a point, bearing North Weft by Weft ; and as we had now-
deepened the water from nine to fourteen fathoms, I fleered
fo r the point, ordering the Difcovery to keep ahead. But
before fhe had run a mile, fhe made a fignal for fhoal
water. At that inftant, we had the depth o f feven fa th om s ;
and before we could get the fhip’s head the other way , had.
lefs than five ; but the Difcovery had lefs than four.
We flood back to the North Eaft, three or four miles ; bu t
finding there was a ftrong tide or current fetting to the Weft
South Weft, that is toward the fhoal, we anchored in ten
fathoms,
fathoms, over a bottom o f fine fand. Two hours after we o?s.
had anchored, the water had fallen two feet and upward ■ . f
w h ich proved, that it was the tide o f ebb that came from
the river above mentioned. We alfo examined fome o f the
water w hich w e had taken up, and found that it was not
h a lf fo fait as common Tea water. This furnifhed an o th e r’
proof, that we were before -a la rg e river.
At fo u r in the afternoon, the wind ihiftin g to South Weft,
we w eighed and flood to the Southward, with boats ahead
founding ; and palled over the South end o f the fhoal, in fix
fathoms water. We then got info thirteen and fifte en ; in
w h ich laft depth we anchored, at h a lf paft e ig h t; fome part
o f the chain o f mountains, on the South Eaft fhqre, in fight,
bearing South Eaft h a lf South ; and the Wefternmoft land on
the other ihore, N o r th ' Weft. We had, in the courfe o f the
day, feen high land, bearing North, 6o° Weft, byeftimation
twelve leagues diftant.
Ha vin g weighed next morning, at two o’ clock, with a Saturday i,.-
ligh t breeze at South Vv cft by Weil, we plied to windward
till n in e ; when ju d g in g the flood tide to, be now made
againft us, w e came to an anchor in twenty-four fathoms.
We la y here till one, when the fog, which had prevailed
this morning, difperfing, and the tide m a k in g in our fa vour,
w e weighed and plied to the South Weft, in the
evening, the wind was v e ry variable, and we had fome
thunder. We had heard none before, fln ce our arrival upon
the coaft; and.this was at a great diftance,.
T h e wind having fettled again in the South Weil quarter,
in the morning o f the 13th, we ftood to the North Weft, and’ S u n d a y , , ,
at ten faw the continent. At noon, it extended from North
Eaft by North, to North North Weft a quarter Weft; and an
elevated