Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/416

Rh diniiiDly frparatc from cnch t.tl.cr; ami. in ilie fpaccs remained ll>c »7j>''. blacklinith's coal, without any uppcamncc of their Imving under j|;ouc the aflion of Hrr.

Whilst we remained inat^ive the fore pari of the mornini^, onr time was not unprf)ritablv employed, in receiving the welcome vilits ol fonie hor|)ital)le friends from the (liore; who brought us fuch an abundant rup|)Iy of frelh falmon, that we pnrchaled a luirieient number to ferve the crew fo long as they would keep good ; which was a great relief from our falted provifions, being a luxury we had not lately experienced.

We had not long hcen umlcr fail, when the olficcrs, who had been difpatched in the boats on the 171I1, arrived on board. From thele gen. tiemen I became acquainted, that they had examined the inlet to which they had been dire6led. t)lf its well point lies a ("mall illand ; its entrance is about half a mile wide, but with no more than, fathoms water in mid- channel ; from whence it extends about 8 miles, in a direction N. 75 e. ; this depth however increaled as they advanced, to 5, G, and 7 fathoms, af- fording good anchorage about two thirds of the way up ; beyond which limits, like all the canals of this kind that we had explored, it termi- nated in fhallow water. The country bore a more pleafing afpeft than that (ii'en from Johnflone's ftraits : and the foil, where they landed, at the upper part, was compofed of black mould and fand, producing pine- trees of large dimenfions. They law one run of water at the head ; but the (hoal flretching from thence, prevented their afccrtaining its qualities ; yet as a deferted village was obferved half way up on the northern fhore, in all probability this place is not deditute of wholefome water, the only undifcovered requifite to conllitute it a very fnug and commodious port ; to which I gave the name of Port Neville.

The weather was fercne and plealant, but the winil fo light and va. riable, that, although wc were not more than j ii^agues IVoin the vil- lage where we cxpc6ied to meet Maqidnna it was not until pail ten at night that we reached that Ration, when we anchored jull without tlie fandy ifland, in 7 fathoms water.

The next morning fhewcd the village in our neighbourhood to be Friday 2su large; and, from the number of our vifitors, it appeared to be very populous. Thcfe brought us tiic fkins of the fea-oiter, of an excellent