Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/331

Rh parts of whii'li remained in one of their canoes, had > ill thr&' iv(X)d people nearly a day's hibour, as tlicy went over to the illand lor lids purpofe the preceding evening; yet they were amply rewarded for their exertions by a liiKdl piece of copper not a loot fquare. This they gladly accepted as a full compenfation for their venifon, on which the whole party could have made two or three good meals ; fuch is the cflccm and value with which this metal is regarded ! About four in the afternoon, agreeably to our cxpeftations, the Chulham was fecn from the niafi; head over the land, and about fun-fct flic arrived and anchored near us. Mr. Brougliton informed me, that the part of tlie coaft he had been dirc6led to explore, confided of an archipelago of iflands lying before an cxtcnfivc arm of the fea llretch- ing in a variety of branches between the n.w. north, andN.N.E. Its extent in the firlt dire6lion was the moll capacious, and prefented an unbounded horizon. On due confideration of all the circumftances that had fallen under my own obfervation, and the intelligence now imparted by Mr, Brougli- ton, I became thoroughly convinced, that our boats alone could enable us to acquire any corre6l or fatisfa6lory information refpefting this broken country ; and although the execution of fuch a fervice in open boats would nccelTarily be extremely laborious, and expofe thofe fo cm- ployed to numberlcfs dangers and unpleafant fituations, that might oc- cafionally produce great fatigue, and protra6l their return to the fliips ; yet that mode was undoubtedly the mofl accurate, the mod ready, and indeed the only one in our power to purfue for afcertaining the conti- nental boundary. The main arm of the inlet leading towards mount Rainier dill re- mained unexplored. It became evident from the length of time Mr. Puget and Mr. Whidbey had been abfent, that the inlet they had been fent to examine, had led them to a confiderable didance. We had no time to fpare, and as it was equally evident none ought to be lod, I di- refted that Mr, Johndone in the Chatham's cutter fliould accompany me in the morning in the Difcovery's yawl, for the purpofe of examining the main arm ; and that Mr. Broughton, on the return of our boats, M m 2 * which 267 17')'- M.iy. ■ ' i t ' *, * . 1*. if *i ■.■"If" V <>