upon the ifland, accompanied by Mr. K in g and fome others
o f the officers. I hoped to have had from it a v iew o f the
coaft and fea to the Weftward ; but the fo g was fo thick in
that direction, that the profpePl was not more extenfive than
from the ihip. T h e coaft o f the continent feemed to take a
turn to the Northward, at a low point named Point Rodney,
w h ich bore from the ifland North Weft h a lf Weft, three or
fou r leagues diftant; but the h igh land, w h ich took a more
Northerly dire i t ion, was feen a great w a y farther.
T h is ifland, w h ich was named Sledge IJland, and lies in the
latitude o f 64* 30', and in the longitude o f 193“ 57', is about
fo u r leagues in circuit. T h e furface o f the ground is com-
pofed chiefly o f large loofe ftones, that are, in many places,
covered with mofs and other vegetables,- o f w hich there
were above twenty or thirty different forts, and moft o f
them in flower. But I faw neither Ihrub nor tree, either
upon the ifland, or on the continent. On a fmall low fpot,
near the beach where we landed, was a good deal o f wild
purflain, peafe, long-wort, &c. ; fome o f w hich we took on
board for the pot. W e faw one fo x ; a few plovers, and fome
other fmall birds; and we met with fome decayed huts that
were partly built below ground. People had lately been on
the iflan d; and it is pretty clear, that they frequently vifit
it for fome purpofe or other, as there was a beaten path from
the one end to the other. We found, a little w ay from the
ihore where we landed, a fledge, which occafioned this name
being given to the ifland. It feemed to be fuch a onp as
the Ruffians in Kamtfchatka make ufe o f to convey goods
from place to place, over the ice or fnow. It was ten feet
long, twenty inches broad ; and had a kind o f rail-work on
each fide, and was fhod with bone. T h e conftrudtion o f it
was admirable, and all the parts neatly put to g e th e r ; fome
with
w i t h w o o d e n p in s , b u t m o f t ly w i t h th o n g s o r la ih in g s o f 177».
w h a le - b o n e , w h i c h m a d e m e t h in k i t w a s e n t i r e ly th e ■ f
w o r k m a n ih ip o f th e n a t iv e s .
At three o ’clock, the next morning, we weighed, and Thurfdays,
proceeded to the "North Weftward, with a ligh t Southerly
breeze. We had an opportunity to obferve the fun’s meridian
altitude for the latitude; and to ge t altitude, both in
the forenoon and afternoon, to obtain the longitude by the
time-keeper. As w e had but little wind, and variable withal,
w e advanced but flowly ; and, at e igh t in the evening,
finding the iliips fettle faft toward the land intoihoal water,*
I anchored in feven fathoms, about two leagues from the
coaft. Sledge Ifland bore South, 51 ° Eaft, ten leagues diftant -r
and was feen over the South point o f the main land.
Soon after w e had anchored, the weather, which had
been mifty, clearing up, w e faw h ig h land extending from
North, 40° Eaft, to North, 30“ Weft, apparently disjoined
from the coaft, under which w e were at anchor, which
feemed to trend awa y North Eaft. At the fame time, an
ifland was feen bearing North S i’ Weft, eight, or nine
leagues diftant. It appeared to have no great extent, and
was named King’s IJland. We rode here till eight o’clock,
next morning, when we weighed, and flood to the North Frida
Weft. T h e weather clearing up toward the evening, we
got fight o f the North Weft land, extending from North by
Weft, to North Weft by North, diftant about three leagues.
We fpent the night m akin g ihort boards, the weather
be in g mifty and rainy, with little w in d ; and, between four
and five o f the morning o f the 8th, w e had again a fight Saturdays,
o f the North Weft land; and, foon after,-on account o f a
ca lm , and a current driving us toward the ihore, we found
a k 2. k