Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 2.djvu/360

332 >793' July. 1'uelday 23. This place, however, not appearing likely to full our purpofe, Mr. Whidbey was difpatched early the next morning in quell of a more convenient fituation, which the adjacent fhores promifed to. afford, par- ticularly in the northern quarter, where the land was moderately elevated, and feemed to be much broken. The interior country was, however, Itill compofcd of lofty, barren, and fnowy mountains. In the forenoon Mr. Whidbey returned, having examined two or three coves, of which the moft eligible appeared to be one that we had palled in th(' dark the preceding evening on the weftern fhore, not more than a mile from our aftual ftation. This afforded good anchorage, with every other convenience that we required. Having a moderate breeze from the fouthward, we loft no time in proceeding thither, where we anchor- ed in 31 and r^^ fathoms water, muddy and fmall-ftony bottom. The points of the cove bore by compafs n.n.e. and s. by e,, the nearefl fhore w. by s,, about a cable and a half diflant, and the oppofite fhore of the inlet e.n.e., one mile diflant.

On going on fliore, we found a fmall canoe with three of the natives, who were employed in taking falmon, which were in great abundance, up a very fine run of frefh water that flowed into the cove. Some of thefe lifli were purchafed with looking glafTcs and other trinkets. They were fmall, infipid, of a very inferior kind, and partaking in no degree of the flavor of European falmon.

In the afternoon, the tents, obfervatory, chronometers, and inftru- ments were fent on fhore, under the diredions of Mr. Whidbey ; and Mr. Johnflone, in the Chatham's cutter, accompanied by Mr. Barrie in the Difcovery's fmall cutter, and fupplied with ten days' provifions, de- parted for the purpofe of recommencing the furvey of the continental fhore, northward from point Maflcelyne,

The account I had received of this famous inlet from Mr. Brown, in- ducing me to undertake the principal examination of it myfelf ; the Difcovery's yawl and launch were equipped with fupplies for a fort- night, being as much as they could pofTibly flow ; Lieutenant Swaine was direfted to attend me in the latter, and Mr. Puget, with Mr. Men- zies, accompanied me in the yawl. The appearance of the country, on