■177®-
September.
to the ‘North Weft appeared to be confiderable; and, from,
its diredtion, he was inclined to thin k, that it emptied it-
■felf into the fea at the head o f the bay. Some o f his people,
w h o penetrated beyond this into the country, found the
trees larger, the farther they advanced.
In honour o f Sir Fletcher Norton *, Speaker o f the Houfe
o f Commons, and Mr. Kin g’s near relation, I named ^this
inlet Norton's Sound. It extends to the Northward as fa r as
latitude o f 64* ss'- T h e bay, in which we were now at anchor,
lies on the South Eaft fide o f i t ; and is called by the
natives Chacktoole. It is but an indifferent ftation ; being ex-
pofed to the South and South Weft winds. Nor is there a
harbour in all this Sound. But w e were fo fortunate as to
have the wind from the North and North Eaft all the time,
w ith remarkable fine weather. T h is gave us an opportun
ity to make no le fs 'th a n feventy-feven fets o f lun ar ob-
fervations, between the 6th and 17th inclufive. T h e mean
refult o f thefe made the longitude o f the anchoring-place,
on the Weft fide o f the Sound, to be - 197° 13'
Latitude - - - - 64° 31'
Variation o f the compafs - - 25° 45' Eaft.
Dip o f the needle - - - 76° 23'
O f the tides it was obferved, that the night-flood role
about two or three feet, and that the day-flood was hardly
perceivable.
Ha vin g now fu lly fatisfied m y felf, that Mr. Stsehlin’s map
muft be erroneous ; and, ha vin g reftored the American continent
to that fpace which he had occupied w ith his imaginary
ifland o f Alafchka, it was h ig h time to think o f'
lea v in g thefe Northern regions, and to retire to fome place
* N ow Lord Grantley.
d uring
d uring the winter, where I m igh t procure refreihments for >77®-
m y people, and a fmall fupply o f provifions. Petropau- ,Seple^ e^
lowik a, or the harbour o f St. Peter and St. Paul, in Kamtfchatka,
did not appear lik e ly to furnifh e ither the one or the
other, fo r fo large a number o f men. I had, befides, other
reafons for not repairing thither at this time. T he firft, and
on w h ich all the others depended, was the great diflike I had:
to lie inadtive for fix or feven months; which would have
been the necefiary confequence o f w in te r in g in any o f thefe
Northern parts. No place was fo conveniently within our
reach, where we could expedt to have our wants relieved, as
the Sandwich Iflands. T o them, therefore, I determined to-
proceed. But before this could be carried into execution, a
fupply o f water was necefiary. With this view , I refolved
to fearch the American cQaft for a harbour, b y proceeding
a long it to the Southward, and thus endeavour to connedt
the furvey o f this part o f it, with that ly in g immediately to
the North o f Cape Newenham. I f I failed in finding a harbour
there, my plan was then to proceed to Samganoodha,
w hich was fixed upon as our place o f rendezvous, in cafe of:
feparation.
C H, A P.