Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/511

Rh tion point dc los Roys bore by compafs n. 72 w. ; the fuppofrd l)ay of Sir I'rancis Drake n. /)5 w.; a low faiuly projcaing point, off which fomc breakers extended nearly two miles to the ic.s.k., being our near- eli (liore, n.'Jjvv., about a league diftant; the foutherntnolt land in fight s.]..; and the fouth-eadernmofl of the Farcllones s. ;]-, w,; to the callward of the low Tandy projefcling point, the eoall: fuddenly riCes in abrupt cliffs, with very unequal furiaccs, preleniing a mod dreary and barren afpcii:!. A few fcattered trees were growing on the more eleva- ted land, with fome patches of dwarf fhrubs in the vallies : the red of the country prclenicd either a furface of naked rocks, or a covering of very little verdure.

We had approached, by two in the afternoon, within a fmall diUancc of the entrance into port St. Francifco, and ihund a rapid tide fetting againll us; the depth of water regularly decreafed from 18 to 4 fathoms, which appearing to be the continuation of a fho;'.! that llretches from the northern Ihore, then didant from us not more than a league, I hauled to the s.w., in order to avoid it, but did not fuccecd in reaching deeper water, as the bank we were upon extended a long way in that direction, as was evident from the confufed breaking fea upon it, and the fmooth v/ater on either fide of it. We therefore made for the port, and foon increafed the depth of water to 8 and 10 fathoms, until we arrivetl between the two outer points of entrance, which are about two mile.s and a half apart, and bear from each other N. 10 v. and s. 10 E. ; here we had 15 and 18 fathoms water, and foon afterwards we could gain no foundings with a liand line.

Although favored with a pleafant breeze which impelled us at the rate of 4 or 5 knots, it axailed us no more than jud fo preferve our dation againd the ebb fetting out of the port. We did not advance until four o'clock, and then but flowly, through the channel leading into this fparious port ; lying in a direaion n. 61 e. and s. 61 v., and is near a league in length, with fome rocks and breakers lying at a little didance from either diore. Thofe on the fouthern fide were fUrthefl, de- tached, and mod confpicuoiis, efpecially one, about a mile within the s.w. point of entrance, which feemed to admit of a paffage wiilJn it; but 43« 1792. Novcnihrr.