fourteen to eight fathoms, and the noise of the surf, came to
an anchor.
“ Next morning (SOth) we found that we had anchored in
a small bay, at about half a mile from a shingle beach, on
which a furious surf was breaking so heavily as to prevent our
landing any where. We were completely exposed to S.W.
winds, with a heavy rolling sea ; and the surf on all points cuts
off communication with the shore. A breeze from the S.W.
would have rendered it difficult to get out, and would have
exposed us to imminent hazard. It is called on the chart Bad
Bay. We left it eagerly, and proceeded to trace the coast to the
E.S.E., until we were nearly abreast of a moderately high and
thickly-wooded island, called Purcell Island. We passed to the
northward of Purcell Island, leaving on the left a rock only a
few feet above the surface of the sea, which lies about midway
between that island and the main land. As we advanced to
the eastward, a large and very remarkable field of ice was seen
lying on the low part of the coast, which, at a distance, we
took for a dense fog hanging over it, as nothing of the kind
was observable in any other part. When nearly abreast of San
Xavier Island, a deep sound was observed to the left, or north,
which we concluded was the San Quintin Sound of the Spanish
chart: it seemed to be about five miles in breadth, and following
a westerly direction. We kept sight of the Sugar Loaf, and
other points we had fixed, until more could be established,
which enabled us to chart the coast as we went along. My next
object was to trace the Sound of San Quintin to its termination,
and at nightfall we succeeded in getting an anchorage at the
entrance.
“ On the 21st we proceeded up the sound, passing to the
northward of Dead Tree Island. Our soundings, until abi’east
of it, were from sixteen to ten fathoms, on a mud bottom; it
then shoaled to four fathoms, and after running about three
miles in that depth, we came to an anchor at the distance of a
mile from the north shore of the sound, in four fathoms.
“ Exceedingly bad weather detained us at this anchorage.
'fl*'rom the time of our arrival, on the evening of the 21st,
until midnight of the 22d, it rained in torrents, without the
intermission of a single minute, the wind lieing strong and
squally at W., W.N.W., and N.W.
“ When the weather improved, on the 23d, we weighed, and
made sail along the northern side of the sound, for tlie purpose
of ascertaining whether it admitted of a passage to tho
northward. We kept within a mile of the sliore, sounding from
eight to fifteen fathoms, generally on a sandy bottom ; and a
run of seven miles brought us within three miles of the bottom
of the inlet, the depth of water being four fathoms, on sand.
The termination of this sound is continuous low land, with
patches of sandy beach, over which, in the distance, among
mountains of great height, we were again able to make out
and take the bearing of that remarkable one, named the ‘ Dome
of St. Paul’s.’ The shores of this inlet are thickly wooded;
the land near them is, for the most part, low, but rises into
mountains, or rather hills, from twelve to fifteen hundred feet
in height, from which many streams of water descend. As
soon as a ship has passed Dead Tree Island, she becomes landlocked
; and as in all parts of the sound there is anchorage
depth, with a muddy or sandy bottom, the advantages offered
to shipping would be of great consequence in parts of the world
more frequented than the Gulf of Peñas.
“ Whales were numerous, and seals were seen in this inlet,
now called the Gulf of San Estevan.
“ Hence we went to Kelly Harbour, at the north-eastern side
of the Gulf of Peñas, four miles N.E. of Xavier Island. The
land around it is rocky and mountainous, but by no means
bare of wood. Near- the entrance it is low, as compared with
the adjacent land ; but in the interior are lofty snow-capped
mountains.
“ A large field of ice, lying on the low land near Kelly Harbour,
was remarkable. There was none on the low grounds at
the other (southern) side of the port, though it was almost the
winter solstice at the time of our visit.
“ Another day and night of incessant rain. In the morning
of the 25th we had some showers of hail, and at daylight found
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