1786. Light airs and hazy on the 16th. W.e iffi.il kept Handing along
— Ihore, at about two leagues diftance f the land bearing from
Weft South Weft to North. On the 17th, we ftill had light baf,
fling winds, and cloudy weather. Having had no meridian altitude
fince the 14th, we could not be exactly certain as to our
lituation, but concluded the land which we now flaw to the North
Eaft to be Montague Ifland. It being nearly calm, and our foundings
greatly leflened, we came to anchor at three o’clock, in forty-
three fathom water, over a fandy bottom; diftance from Ihore
about three miles. I Ihould obferve, that for fome days paft our
foundings had varied from one hundred and twenty to twenty-
eight fathom water, generally over a muddy bottom. An ifland to
the Northward bore from North Eaft by Eaft to North North Eaft,
Another point of land due North, at fix miles diftance. Whilft we
lay at anchor, many of our people got out their filhing-lines, thinking
we lay on a cod-bank; they caught fome fculpins, and a few
halibut, but were difappointed in their expectations of catching
cod.
The weather continued thick and foggy, but at fix o’clock In
the afternoon of the 18th, a breeze Ipringing up from the South
Weft by Weft, we weighed anchor, and ftood in for the Ihore.
A t ten o clock, we founded with forty-live fathom line, over a
bottom of fand mixed with Ihells ; at twelve, we had no bottom
with eighty fathom line.
The early part of the morning of the 19th was fo foggy, that we
loft fight of land, but at eight o’clock we faw land bearing North
Eaft by North. We kept plying to windward, in order to make,
i f poflible, the South Weft paffhge into Prince William’s Sound,
which, at four in the afternoon, bore North Eaft by North ; the
2 Eaftermoft
Eaftermoft point of lancLin light Eaft by North ; Foot Ifland, from 1786.
North by Eaft, to Weft North W eft; Leg Ifland, Weft, to North
Weft by North; the Continent South Weft. The wind blew
frelh from the North Eaft, and a heavy Iwell fetting to the Weft-
ward, we gained little or nothing. At eight o’clock in the evening,
the South Weft Point of Montague Ifland bore Eaft North
Eaft, at four miles diftance. The wind being variable during the
night, we tacked occafionally. At ten o’clock we had foundings in.
forty fathom water, over a fandy bottom.
At eight in the morning of the 20th, the land in fight bore;
from North North Eaft to North half Weft ; we had no bottom-
with a line of fifty fathom. Still we kept plying to windward, but
with no better fuccefs than on the preceding days, owing to frelh
North Eafterly winds, and a current fetting to the Weftward..
The former part of the 21ft was hazy, with rain. At four im ■
the afternoon, we had great hopes of making a bay near the wilhed—
for entrance, being in feventeen fathom water, and within a mile-
and half of the land ; but we found a- ftrong current fet us bodily
to leeward, in addition to the fwell from the Eaft ward. In the
evening, and during the night, we had ftrong North Eafterly
breezes, with much rain ; and the former part o f the 22d was thick,
and rainy, but the wind more moderate. We had a tolerable:
obfervation at noon, which gave 59 deg. 15 min. North, latitude,,
being the only one we could get for ten.days paft.
During the afternoon, and the whole o f the 23d, the weather
was thick and hazy, with frelh variable breezes, though chiefly,
from the North Eaft, and no land in fight.
At: