four o’clock, being within two miles of Ihore, we founded in forty-
two fathom water, over a bottom of foft mud. The morning
proving very thick and hazy,- at fix o’clock the whale-boat was
hoifted out, and Mr. Turner, our Second Mate, font into a bay,
which bore North North Eaft, to look for anchoring- ground.
Soon after the boat was gone, we perceived a Angle canoe with one
perfon in her, who feemed to be fifhing at the entrance of the bay.
We were greatly elated with this fight, as there was now a certainty
of finding inhabitants in the adjacent harbour.
At eight o’clock Mr. Turner returned, and reported that he had
found an excellent harbour, and. feen ‘a number of inhabitants.
The breeze dying away, our yawl war hoifted out, and lent a-head
with the whale boat, in order to tow u - veffel into the bay; but
by ten o’clock we found that all our towing was to no purpofe, the
tide running ftrongly againft us. On this we immediately began
to warp up the bay, but this got us a-head very flowly, as we had
from forty-five to fifty fathom water, and as we advanced farther
into the bay, our foundings increafed.
The fituation Mr. Turner had pitched on for us to anchor in,
was round a low point to the Northward, about three miles up the
bay; but finding it impracticable to get there by day-light, though
every poflible exertion was made to effedl it, we came to at eight
o’clock, with the fmall bower, in fixty-five fathom water, over a
muddy bottom.
Our prolpedts now leem to brighten. Thou mayeft depend on
having an account of our fuccefs at this place the earlieft opportunity.
Thine, &c.
W . B.
Port M ulgrave,
24th May.
L E T -
L E T T E R XXXI.
1787.
May.
B HE extremes of the bay we came to anchor in, the evening
of the 23d of May, bore from Weft to North 42 deg. Weft;
and the point round which our intended harbour lay, .North 20
deg. Eaft j our diftance from the Ihore lefs than a mile. During
the time we were warping into the bay, feveral canoes came alongside
us. We accofted the people with fome of the words In ufe.
amongft the natives of Prince William’s Sound, but they had not
the leaft idea of their meaning: indeed it was pretty evident at
firft fight, that thefe people were a different nation, from the con-
ftruftion of their canoes, which were altogether of wood, neatly
fmiftied, and in fhape not very much unlike our whale-boats.
To the Southward of our prefent fituation was a narrow creek,
which appeared to lead a great diftance into the country, and.
widened as it advanced in ftiore.
Early in the morning of the 24th, we law a number of the natives
on the beach, near the entrance of this creek, making fignals.
for us to come on ftiore : a fmoke was alfo feen, which proceeded
from behind fome pines, at a fmall diftance round the point. On
this Captain Dixon went in the whale-boat to fnrvey the place,
thinking it probable, from thefe circumftances, that the Indians
chiefly rqfided here ; and fliould there be convenient anchorage, the
fituation would be a'more, eligible one, than that found out by Mr.
Turner. He found a number of inhabitants, and two or three
temporary liuts; but the entrance into the creek was too lhallow.-
to