Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 2.djvu/374

344

Aiii-ul!. r.Miv 2. miles in circuit. The fliores, that had been nearly flraight and compaft fince we had quitted the rocky arm above-mentioned, became again in- dented M-ith bays and coves, bounded by many rocks and rocky illcts.

In examining thefc broken parts of the fhore, the launch had pre- ceded the yawl whilll I was taking the neceflary angles. On our turning {harp round a point, 1 difcovercd her endeavouring as I fuppofed to pais a mod tremendous fail of water; the evening at this time was nearly doling in, and being now about liigh tide, the fall appeared to be adverfe to their proceeding; but fmding they continued to advance, I hailed, and waved to them to dclilt. On our meeting, I found they had pofTefred but fuHicient flrength and time to extricate them felves from a very alarming fituation. The diretlion of the fall was in a contrary line to what they had cxpc6ted, as the water was rufhing with great impetuofity through a narro'W rocky channel, and falling into a bafon whofe furface appeared to be greatly beneath the level of the canal we were navigating, on their perceiving this, their utmofl exertions were required for a fhort time, to prevent the boat from being drawn within its vortical influence. About a mile from the above point, nearly in a fouth diredion, we brought to for the night.

In the morning of the 2d we fat out early, and pafTcd through a laby- rintli of fmall iflets and rocks along the continental fhore; this, taking now a winding courfc to the fouth-weft and weft, fliewed the fouth- eaftern fide of the canal to be much broken, through which was a pafTage leading s.s.r.. towards the ocean. We paffed this in the hope of finding a more northern and wefterly communication; in which we were not difappointed, as the channel we were then purfuing was foon found to communicate alfo with the fea; making the land to the loath of us one or more iflands. From the north-weft point of this land, iltuuted in latitude 54" ,45!', longitude 229° 28', the pacific was evidently Icen between n. 88 vv. and s. 81 w. Off the point, at a little diftance from the main land, was an ifland about half a mile from us; the op- pofite, or continental fhore, lying north-eafl, not quite half a mile dif- tant. Between this and the wefternmoft land in fight the fhores ap- peared