Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/100

46 they certainly do not <'ipply to its fouth wcPern fide, as no vrry material reparation, eitlur by rivers, or arms of the Tea, was diRoverod in ♦he neighhoiirliood of our furve}'. Had Inch bicaks in the coall exilk'd, and had theyefcapod our oii(ervation. it is highly probable we fhould have met in the (ea, or fcen driven on its (liores, drift wood and other produ6tions of ijie interior conniry. 1 he ver}- deep colour alfo of ihe fcveral ftrcams of water may pofhbly be occafioned l)y the quality of the foil throngli wjiich the)' flow; whence it may be inferred that, if any confidcrablc inland waters had their fource far in the country, or if any great bocb dellended it oin its (hores, the fea aloiig the coafl would in fome mcafurc have been dilcoloured-, but neither of thefe evidences cxillcd, for, on our approach to the land, there was no previous appearance to in- dicate its vicinitv. This opinion was further corroborated on infpe6ling thn habitations and j)laces of the natixes' refort ; where not the lead re- mains of canoes, or other circumftancc prcfented itfelf, which could con- vey the molt dillaut idea of thefe people having ever trufled themfelves on the water; a circumftancc which it is rcafonable to fuppofe would fome- times have happened, had their country been infulated, or their travelling interrupted by large rivers or arms of the fea; efpecially as all appear- ances favored the conjefture of their being, by no means, a fiationar}' people. There was great reafon, howeer, to conclude, that the coun- try was well fupplied with frefh water ; as wherever we chanced to land, we eafily procured that aluable article, not only where the foil wras of confiderable depth, but from ftreamlets iffuing out of the foLd rocks. This feemed to be the cafe even on the moll elevated land, which caufed a very fingular appearance when the fun fhonc in certain directions oi thofe mountains whofe furfaccs were deditute of foil; for on thefe mafle humid by the continually oozing of the water, a bright glare was pro- duced that gave them the rcfemblance of hills covered with fnow. Our refcarches afforded little matter worthy of notice excepting fuch as appertained to King George the Third's Sound. This pert has its entrance in latitude 35° 5', longitude 118" 17'. It is eafily known on approaching it from the wcflward, as it is the firll open- ing in the coall that prefcnts any appcaranrc like an harbour, ealhvard