and which we judged to be near Cook’s River. During the
evening, we had a number of whales playing about the Ihip.
I forgot to obferve before, that our original deftination was firft
to King George’s Sound : but as we were confiderably later
m the feafon than we once expected to be, our Captains judged
it molt prudent to make Cook’s River firft, and ftand along the
coalt to the Southward, as the fealon advanced.
The wind being right againft us, we plied to windward during
the 17th and 18th, when we found the land feen on the evening
of the 16th, to be a group of itlands, called by Captain Cook the
Barren Iflands, and fituated at the entrance of Cook’s River.
At four in the afternoon of the 18th, we faw. the Ifland St.
Hermogenes, bearing from South South Weft to Weft, at three
leagues diftance. The whales near the land were fo numerous,
that their blowing refembled a large reef o f rocks. ’
-At eleven o’clock in the forenoon o f the 19th, we made the entrance
of Cook’s River, leaving the Barren Ifles to the South
ward and Eaftward. Both wind and tide being now in our favour
we kept ftandmg along the Eaftern fhore, intending, ifpoffible to
make Anchor Point before we let go our anchor; but at feven in
the afternoon we were furprized with the report of a gun, which
proceeded from a bay nearly a-breaft of us, at about four miles
diftance. Captain Portlock immediately fired a gun, by wav of
anfwering this fignal, and there being every appearance of a good
harbour, he determined to ftand in, and come to anchor, in order
that we might know what nation had got the ftart of us.
Various were our conjectures on this head-; fome thinking they
might polfibly be our own countrymen ; others, that they were
French,
French; and indeed this latter conjecture had a'good deal o f weight 1
with us, as we had heard of two French fhips fitting out for this ^
coaft, at the time we left England. However, all our furmifes were
foon changed into certainty, for as we were ftanding into the bay
with a light breeze, a boat came from the fhore to the King George,
and the people proved to be Ruffians.
A t eight o’clock, being well into the bay, we came to anchor in
thirty-five fathom water, Point Bede bearing Eaft North Eaft, at
three miles diftance; and Mount St. Auguftine South Weft by
Weft.
Soon after our anchor was gone, four or five canoes, with a fingle
perfon in each, came along-fide us. We were fo elated with this
promifing appearance, that an affortment of our various articles
of trade was immediately got to hand, and abundance of furs were
already on board, in our imagination : but thefe pleafing ideas foon
vaniffied, for we foon found that thefe people belonged to the
Ruffians.
Though our expectations of finding inhabitants here were dif-
appointed, yet as the place was found very convenient for procuring
a fupply of wood and water, every neceffary preparation was made
for that purpofe, and parties fent on fhore in the morning of the
20th, to cut wood and fill water : in the mean time, our Captains
went in the King George’s whale-boat to the Ruffian FaCtory, in
order to pick up what intelligence they could, refpeCting their
bufinefs on this coaft.
It feems the Ruffians had no fixed fettlement here, and, in ffiort,
no other refidence than a mere temporary one, which they had
2 made