Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/499

Rh norfhnninr)ll l.md in view, north. 'I'liis l)y varioiu oblivvaiioM.. I L.tind to Ik* fituatid in latitude 17' /^o', lon^itudf ^'jfV' |'. Ilrrc ilic Hii lu-- Ibrc us flid nut ai)|Kar to full fo Car hack as I hul hcfn led to I'lippolr. hut the low land projci tfd riiiilur into ilu' oci'an ilian it had apixan-d to do on our f'ornur view of it : and inllead ol' thr hirakcis hnng in- lirclv connected, two fniall openings wcif direoviMcd. whioh, howcvg, from the colour of the water, and the rifing ol the (well airois them, mullhe very ihallos-. IJrokeii water was alii) leen in every «hrethon between the outer reel's and the liiore, the latter ol which was not dil- cernible until eleven o'eloek, when a breeze let in from the s.w. which dilperfed the ha/.c, and Ihewed the boundary of the eoalf to be one un- interrupted beach, lined with bicakcrs at irregular diflaiucs IVom it. With this breeze we weighed anchor. The latitude oblerwil at noon was jb" 12, but oblervat'ons lor the chronometer were not procured. With a pleafant gale and fine h ather wc coalled along this delightl'id and apparently fertile part of New Georgia, at the dillance ot'about a league from the (hoals, having foundings from 10 to lO fathoms, until four in the afternoon, when having nearly reached cape Diliippointment, which forms the north point of entrance into Columbia river, fo named by Mr. Gray, I directed the Chatham to lead into it, and on her arrival at the bar fhould no more than 4 fathoms water be found, the fignal for danger was to be made; but if the channel appeared to be further na- vigable, then to proceed. As we followed the Chathan the depth of water dccrcafed to 4 fa- thoms, in which we failed fome little time without being able to difliri- guifli the entrance into the river, the lea breaking in a greater or Icfs degree from Ihore to fhore ; but as the Chatham continued to piufueher courfe, I concluded (lie was in a fair channel. We however foon ar- rived in ,3 fathoms, and as the water was becoming lefs deep, and break- ing in all direflions around us, I haided to the wellward in order to efcape the threatened danger. In doing this we were allilled bv a very ftrong ebb tide that fat out of the river, and which oppofing a very heavy fwell that rolled from the weflward diretllv on the Ihore, caufed an irregular and dangerous Jla. By fcven, our dejnh of water had in- ,; II 2 creafed i7'>" I 11 I.IV i-y.