1787. difappointed, fo that it was determined to leave this bay the fir ft
April~ . fair wind.
At four o’clock in the morning of the 29th, a breeze fpringing
up at South Weft, we unmoored, and flood out of the bay, but had
fcarcely reached the channel, which leads up into the found, when
we were becalmed, and the tide being againft us, we were obliged
to get the boats a-head, in order to tow the veffels in again, taking
care, however, to come to as near mid-channel as was confident
with our fafety. At ten o’clock we let go an anchor, in twenty-
three fathom water, over a muddy bottom, the extremes of the
bay bearing from North 40 deg. Weft to South 39 deg. Weft, a
mile diftant from fhore.
The weather during the 30th, was moderate, the wind light and
variable; no Indians came near us, fo that what faint hopes we
had hitherto entertained of their return, now entirely vanifhed,
This bay abounds with wild geefe and ducks, but they were fo
very fhy, that we could rarely come within mufquet fhot of them.
There are alfo great numbers of gulls; fome eagles of the white-
headed fpecies, and great plenty of fmaller birds, of various kinds,
fuch as fand-pipers,- fnipes, plovers, &c. &c.
Our hooks and lines were generally over-board, but the only
kind of fifh we caught was a fort greatly refembling a flounder,
and called by the failors fand-dabs. The other marine productions
found here, are mufcles, cockles, clams, crabs, and ftar-fifh.
I fhould not omit, that one of our people, in fifhing with hook
and line, caught a very remarkable fubject, which I fuppofe to be a
fpecies of polypus: it feemed to be both of an animal and vegetable
table fubftance, and adhered to a fmall fwitch about three feet
long.
The wind ftill continuing light and variable, early in the morning
of the ill of May, both our Captains went in the whale-boats,
on a furvey, and Captain Portlock left orders with Mr. Macleod to
weigh anchor during his abfence, if the wind .proved favourable.
A number of the people from both veffels had liberty given to
recreate themfelves on fhore j but a breeze coming on at South
Weft, at eleven o’clock a fignal was made for the' people to come
on board. At two o’clock we unmoored, and made fail, Handing
up the channel towards Prince William’s Sound. At fix o clock,
being clofe in fhore, and the wind leffening, we came to anchor in
a bay to the Eaftward, in twenty-one fathom water, over a muddy
bottom. At ten o’clock in the evening, our Captains returned;
they had met with no furs, and feen but very few Indians, and
thofe at a confiderable diftance from the place where we lay.
During the night we had light variable airs; but at ten in the
morning of the 2d, a breeze coming on at South Weft, we weighed
and made fail, Handing for the channel, betwixt the Green and
Montague Iflands. By fix o’clock in the afternoon, the Green
Iflands were on our larboard beam. This paffage is dangerous in
the night, or in bad weather, the channel not being a mile in the
broadeft part free from funken rocks. In this fituation we had
foundings from twenty-five to fix fathom water, over a fandy bottom.
Our breeze dying away, at feven o’clock we let go an anchor,
in thirteen fathom water; but finding we were fituated very near
a funk rock, we hove it up again, and a light breeze fpringing up,
we were enabled to get into a bay in Montague Ifland. At nine
o’clock