A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xvi Part 16

_Tides._

It is high water on the days of the new and full moon at 12^h 20^m.

The perpendicular rise and fall, eight feet nine inches; which is to be understood of the day-tides, and those which happen two or three days after the full and new moon. The night-tides, at this time, rise near two feet higher. This was very conspicuous during the spring-tide of the full moon, which happened soon after our arrival; and it was obvious, that it would be the same in those of the new moon, though we did not remain here long enough to see the whole of its effect.

Some circ.u.mstances, that occurred daily, relating to this, deserve particular notice. In the cove, where we got wood and water, was a great deal of drift wood thrown ash.o.r.e; a part of which we had to remove to come at the water. It often happened, that large pieces of trees, which we had removed in the day out of the reach of the then high water, were found, the next morning, floated again in our way; and all our spouts, for conveying down the water, thrown out of their places, which were immoveable during the day-tides. We also found, that wood, which we had split up for fuel, and had deposited beyond the reach of the day-tide, floated away during the night. Some of these circ.u.mstances happened every night or morning, for three or four days in the height of the spring-tides; during which time we were obliged to attend every morning-tide, to remove the large logs out of the way of watering.

I cannot say whether the flood-tide falls into the Sound from the north-west, south-west, or south-east. I think it does not come from the last quarter; but this is only conjecture, founded upon the following observations: The south-east gales, which we had in the Sound, were so far from increasing the rise of the tide, that they rather diminished it; which would hardly have happened, if the flood and wind had been in the same direction.

SECTION IV.

_A Storm, after sailing from Nootka Sound.--Resolution springs a Leak.--Pretended Strait of Admiral de Fonte pa.s.sed unexamined.--Progress along the Coast of America.--Behring's Bay.--Kaye's Island.--Account of it.--The s.h.i.+ps come to an Anchor.--Visited by the Natives.--Their Behaviour.--Fondness for Beads and Iron.--Attempt to plunder the Discovery.--Resolution's Leak stopped.--Progress up the Sound.--Messrs Gore and Roberts sent to examine its Extent.--Reasons against a Pa.s.sage to the North through it.--The s.h.i.+ps proceed down it to the open Sea._

Having put to sea on the evening of the 26th, as before related, with strong signs of an approaching storm, these signs did not deceive us. We were hardly out of the Sound, before the wind, in an instant, s.h.i.+fted from north-east to south-east by east, and increased to a strong gale, with squalls and rain, and so dark a sky, that we could not see the length of the s.h.i.+p. Being apprehensive, from the experience I had since our arrival on this coast, of the wind veering more to the south, which would put us in danger of a lee-sh.o.r.e, we got the tacks on board, and stretched off to the south-west, under all the sail that the s.h.i.+ps could bear. Fortunately, the wind veered no farther southerly than south-east; so that at day-light the next morning we were quite clear of the coast.

The Discovery being at some distance a-stern, I brought-to till she came up, and then bore away, steering north-west; in which direction I supposed the coast to lie. The wind was at south-east, blew very hard, and in squalls, with thick hazy weather. At half-past one in the afternoon, it blew a perfect hurricane; so that I judged it highly dangerous to run any longer before it, and therefore brought the s.h.i.+ps to, with their heads to the southward, under the foresails and mizen-stay-sails. At this time the Resolution sprung a leak, which, at first, alarmed us not a little. It was found to be under the starboard b.u.t.tock; where, from the bread-room, we could both hear and see the water rush in; and, as we then thought, two feet under water. But in this we were happily mistaken; for it was afterward found to be even with the water-line, if not above it, when the s.h.i.+p was upright. It was no sooner discovered, than the fish-room was found to be full of water, and the casks in it afloat; but this was, in a great measure, owing to the water not finding its way to the pumps through the coals that lay in the bottom of the room. For, after the water was baled out, which employed us till midnight, and had found its way directly from the leak to the pumps, it appeared that one pump kept it under, which gave us no small satisfaction. In the evening, the wind veered to the south, and its fury, in some degree, ceased. On this we set the main-sail, and two topsails close-reefed, and stretched to the westward. But at eleven o'clock the gale again increased, and obliged us to take in the topsails, till five o'clock the next morning, when the storm began to abate, so that we could bear to set them again.

The weather now began to clear up, and being able to see several leagues round us, I steered more to the northward. At noon, the lat.i.tude, by observation, was 50 1'; longitude 229 26'.[1] I now steered N.W. by N., with a fresh gale at S.S.E. and fair weather. But at nine in the evening, it began again to blow hard, and in squalls, with rain. With such weather, and the wind between S.S.E. and S.W. I continued the same course till the 30th, at four in the morning, when I steered N. by W. in order to make the land. I regretted very much indeed that I could not do it sooner; for this obvious reason, that we were now pa.s.sing the place where geographers[2] have placed the pretended strait of Admiral de Fonte. For my own part, I give no credit to such vague and improbable stories, that carry their own confutation along with them. Nevertheless, I was very desirous of keeping the American coast aboard, in order to clear up this point beyond dispute. But it would have been highly imprudent in me to have engaged with the land in weather so exceedingly tempestuous, or to have lost the advantage of a fair wind by waiting for better weather.

This same day, at noon, we were in the lat.i.tude of 53 22', and in the longitude of 225 14'.

[Footnote 1: As in the remaining part of this chapter, the lat.i.tude and longitude are very frequently set down, the former being invariably North, and the latter East, the constant repet.i.tion of the two words, _North_ and _East_, has been omitted, to avoid unnecessary precision.]

[Footnote 2: See de Lisle's _Generale des Decouvertes de l'Amiral de Fonte_, &c. Paris, 1752; and many other maps.]

The next morning, being the 1st of May, seeing nothing of the land, I steered north-easterly, with a fresh breeze at S.S.E. and S., with squalls, and showers of rain and hail. Our lat.i.tude at noon 54 43', and our longitude 224 44'. At seven in the evening, being in the lat.i.tude of 55 20', we got sight of the land, extending from N.N.E.

to E., or E. by S. about twelve or fourteen leagues distant. An hour after, I steered N. by W.; and at four the next morning, the coast was seen from N. by W. to S.E. the nearest part about six leagues distant.[3]

[Footnote 3: This must be very near that part of the American coast where Tscherikow anch.o.r.ed in 1741, for Muller places its lat.i.tude in 56. Had this Russian navigator been so fortunate as to proceed a little farther northward along the coast, he would have found, as we now learn from Captain Cook, bays, and harbours, and islands, where his s.h.i.+p might have been sheltered, and his people protected in landing. For the particulars of the misfortunes he met with here, two boats' crews, which he sent ash.o.r.e, having never returned, probably cut off by the natives, see _Muller's Decouvertes de Russes_, p. 248, 254. The Spaniards, in 1775, found two good harbours on this part of the coast; that called _Guadalupe_, in lat.i.tude 57 11', and the other, _De los Remedios_, in lat.i.tude 57 18'.--D.]

At this time the northern point of an inlet, or what appeared to be one, bore E. by S. It lies in the lat.i.tude of 56; and from it to the northward, the coast seemed to be much broken, forming bays or harbours every two or three leagues, or else appearances much deceived us. At six o'clock, drawing nearer the land, I steered N.W. by N., this being the direction of the coast; having a fresh gale at S.E.

with some showers of hail, snow, and sleet. Between eleven and twelve o'clock, we pa.s.sed a group of small islands, lying under the main land, in the lat.i.tude of 56 48'; and off, or rather to the northward of the south point of a large bay. An arm of this bay, in the northern part of it, seemed to extend in toward the north, behind a round elevated mountain that lies between it and the sea. This mountain I called _Mount Edgc.u.mbe_; and the point of land that shoots out from it _Cape Edgc.u.mbe_. The latter lies in the lat.i.tude of 57 3', and in the longitude of 224 7'; and at noon it bore north 20 W. six leagues distant.

The land, except in some places close to the sea, is all of a considerable height, and hilly; but Mount Edgc.u.mbe far out-tops all the other hills. It was wholly covered with snow; as were also all the other elevated hills; but the lower ones, and the flatter spots, bordering upon the sea, were free from it, and covered with wood.

As we advanced to the north, we found the coast from Cape Edgc.u.mbe to trend north and north-easterly for six or seven leagues, and there form a large bay. In the entrance of that bay are some islands; for which reason I named it the _Bay of Islands_. It lies in the lat.i.tude of 57 20';[4] and seemed to branch into several arms, one of which turned to the south, and may probably communicate with the bay on the east side of Cape Edgc.u.mbe, and make the land of the Cape an island.

At eight o'clock in the evening, the Cape bore S.E. 1/2 S.; the Bay of Islands N. 53 E.; and another inlet, before which are also some islands, bore N. 52 E. five leagues distant. I continued to steer N.N.W. 1/2 W. and N.W. by W. as the coast trended, with a fine gale at N.E. and clear weather.

[Footnote 4: It should seem, that, in this very bay, the Spaniards, in 1775, found their port which they call _De los Remedios_. The lat.i.tude is exactly the same; and their journal mentions its being protected by a long ridge of high islands. See Miscellanies, by the Honourable Daines Barrington, p. 503, 504.--D.]

At half-an-hour past four in the morning, on the 3d, Mount Edgc.u.mbe bore S. 54 E.; a large inlet, N. 50 E., distant six leagues; and the most advanced point of the land, to the N.W. lying under a very high-peaked mountain, which obtained the name of _Mount Fairweather_, bore N. 32 W. The inlet was named _Cross Sound_, as being first seen on that day, so marked in our calendar. It appeared to branch in several arms, the largest of which turned to the northward. The S.E.

point of this Sound is a high promontory, which obtained the name of _Cross Cape_. It lies in the lat.i.tude of 57 57', and its longitude is 223 21'. At noon it bore S.E.; and the point under the peaked mountain, which was called _Cape Fairweather_, N. by W. 1/4 W., distant thirteen leagues. Our lat.i.tude at this time was 58 17', and our longitude 222 14'; and we were distant from the sh.o.r.e three or four leagues. In this situation we found the variation of the compa.s.s to be from 24 11' to 26 11' E.

Here the N.E. wind left us, and was succeeded by light breezes from the N.W. which lasted for several days. I stood to the S.W. and W.S.W.

till eight o'clock the next morning, when we tacked, and stood toward the sh.o.r.e. At noon, the lat.i.tude was 58 22', and the longitude 220 45'. Mount Fairweather, the peaked mountain over the Cape of the same name, bore N. 63 E.; the sh.o.r.e under it twelve leagues distant. This mountain, which lies in the lat.i.tude of 58 52', and in the longitude of 222, and five leagues inland, is the highest of a chain, or rather a ridge of mountains, that rise at the N.W. entrance of Cross Sound, and extend to the N.W. in a parallel direction with the coast. These mountains were wholly covered with snow, from the highest summit down to the sea-coast; some few places excepted, where we could perceive trees rising, as it were, out of the sea; and which, therefore, we supposed, grew on low land, or on islands bordering upon the sh.o.r.e of the continent.[5] At five in the afternoon, our lat.i.tude being then 58 53', and our longitude 220 52', the summit of an elevated mountain appeared above the horizon, bearing N., 26 W., and, as was afterwards found, forty leagues distant. We supposed it to be Beering's Mount St Elias; and it stands by that name in our chart.

[Footnote 5: According to Muller, Beering fell in with the coast of North America in lat.i.tude 58 28', and he describes its aspect thus: "_L'aspect du pays etoit affrayaut par ses hautes montagnes couvertes de niege._" The chain or ridge of mountains covered with snow, mentioned here by Captain Cook, in the same lat.i.tude, exactly agrees with what Beering met with. See Muller's _Voyages et Decouvertes de Russes_, p. 248-254.--D.]

This day we saw several whales, seals, and porpoises; many gulls, and several flocks of birds, which had a black ring about the head; the tip of the tail, and the upper part of the wings, with a black band; and the rest bluish above and white below. We also saw a brownish duck, with a black or deep-blue head and neck, sitting upon the water.

Having but light winds, with some calms, we advanced slowly; so that on the 6th at noon we were only in the lat.i.tude of 59 8', and in the longitude of 220 19'. Mount Fairweather bore S. 63 E. and Mount Elias N. 30 W.; the nearest land about eight leagues distant. In the direction of N. 47 E. from this station, there was the appearance of a bay, and an island off the S. point of it that was covered with wood. It is here where I suppose Commodore Beering to have anch.o.r.ed.

The lat.i.tude, which is 59 18', corresponds pretty well with the map of his voyage,[6] and the longitude is 221 E. Behind the bay, (which I shall distinguish by the name of Beering's Bay, in honour of its discoverer,) or rather to the south of it, the chain of mountains before mentioned is interrupted by a plain of a few leagues extent; beyond which the sight was unlimited; so that there is either a level country or water behind it. In the afternoon, having a few hours calm, I took this opportunity to sound, and found seventy fathoms water, over a muddy bottom. The calm was succeeded by a light breeze from the N., with which we stood to the westward; and at noon the next day, we were in the lat.i.tude of 59 27', and the longitude of 219 7'. In this situation, Mount Fairweather bore S. 70 E.; Mount St Elias N. 1/2 W.; the westernmost land in sight N. 52 W.; and our distance from the sh.o.r.e four or five leagues; the depth of water being eighty-two fathoms over a muddy bottom. From this station we could see a bay (circular to appearance) under the high land, with low wood-land on each side of it.

[Footnote 6: Probably Captain Cook means Muller's map, prefixed to his History of the Russian Discoveries.--D.]

We now found the coast to trend very much to the west, inclining hardly any thing to the north; and as we had the wind mostly from the westward, and but little of it, our progress was slow. On the 9th at noon, the lat.i.tude was 59 30', and the longitude 217. In this situation the nearest land was nine leagues distant; and Mount St Elias bore N., 30 E, nineteen leagues distant. This mountain lies twelve leagues inland in the lat.i.tude of 60 27', and in the longitude of 219. It belongs to a ridge of exceedingly high mountains, that may be reckoned a continuation of the former, as they are only divided from them by the plain above mentioned. They extend as far to the west as the longitude of 217; where, although they do not end, they lose much of their height, and become more broken and divided.

At noon on the 10th, our lat.i.tude was 59 51', and our longitude 215 56', being no more than three leagues from, the coast of the continent, which extended from E. 1/2 N., to N.W. 1/2 W., as far as the eye could reach. To the westward of this last direction was an island that extended from N., 52 W., to S., 85 W., distant six leagues. A point shoots out from the main toward the N.E. end of the island, bearing, at this time, N., 30 W., five or six leagues distant. This point I named _Cape Suckling_. The point of the cape is low; but within it, is a tolerably high hill, which is disjoined from the mountains by low land; so that, at a distance, the cape looks like an island. On the north side of Cape Suckling is a bay that appeared to be of some extent, and to be covered from most winds. To this bay I had some thoughts of going, to stop our leak, as all our endeavours to do it at sea had proved ineffectual. With this view, I steered for the cape; but as we had only variable light breezes, we approached it slowly. However, before night, we were near enough to see some low land spitting out from the cape to the north-west, so as to cover the east part of the bay from the south wind. We also saw some small islands in the bay, and elevated rocks between the cape and the north-east end of the island. But still there appeared to be a pa.s.sage on both sides of these rocks; and I continued steering for them all night, having from forty-three to twenty-seven fathoms water over a muddy bottom.

At four o'clock next morning, the wind, which had been mostly at N.E., s.h.i.+fted to N. This being against us, I gave up the design of going within the island, or into the bay, as neither could be done without loss of time. I therefore bore up for the west end of the island. The wind blew faint, and at ten o'clock it fell calm. Being not far from the island, I went in a boat, and landed upon it, with a view of seeing what lay on the other side; but finding it farther to the hills than I expected, and the way being steep and woody, I was obliged to drop the design. At the foot of a tree, on a little eminence not far from the sh.o.r.e, I left a bottle with a paper in it, on which were inscribed the names of the s.h.i.+ps, and the date of our discovery. And along with it, I inclosed two silver two-penny pieces of his majesty's coin, of the date 1772. These, with many others, were furnished me by the Reverend Dr Kaye;[7] and, as a mark of my esteem and regard for that gentleman, I named the island, after him, _Kaye's Island_. It is eleven or twelve leagues in length, in the direction of N.E. and S.W.; but its breadth is not above a league, or a league and a half, in any part of it. The S.W. point, which lies in the lat.i.tude of 59 49', and the longitude of 216 58', is very remarkable, being a naked rock, elevated considerably above the land within it. There is also an elevated rock lying off it, which, from some points of view, appears like a ruined castle. Toward the sea, the island terminates in a kind of bare-sloping cliffs, with a beach, only a few paces across to their foot, of large pebble stones, intermixed in some places with a brownish clayey sand, which the sea seems to deposit after rolling in, having been washed down from the higher parts, by the rivulets or torrents. The cliffs are composed of a bluish stone or rock, in a soft or mouldering state, except in a few places. There are parts of the sh.o.r.e interrupted by small vallies and gullies. In each of these, a rivulet or torrent rushes down with considerable impetuosity; though it may be supposed that they are only furnished from the snow, and last no longer than till it is all melted. These vallies are filled with pine-trees, which grow down close to the entrance, but only to about half way up the higher or middle part of the island. The woody part also begins, every-where, immediately above the cliffs, and is continued to the same height with the former; so that the island is covered, as it were, with a broad girdle of wood, spread upon its side, included between the top of the cliffy sh.o.r.e; and the higher parts in the centre. The trees, however, are far from being of an uncommon growth; few appearing to be larger than one might grasp round with his arms, and about forty or fifty feet high; so that the only purpose they could answer for s.h.i.+pping, would be to make top-gallant masts, and other small things. How far we may judge of the size of the trees which grow on the neighbouring continent, it may be difficult to determine. But it was observed, that none larger than those we saw growing, lay upon the beach amongst the drift-wood. The pine-trees seemed all of one sort; and there was neither the Canadian pine, nor cypress, to be seen. But there were a few which appeared to be the alder, that were but small, and had not yet shot forth their leaves.

Upon the edges of the cliffs, and on some sloping ground, the surface was covered with a kind of turf, about half a foot thick, which seemed composed of the common moss; and the top, or upper part of the island, had almost the same appearance as to colour; but whatever covered it seemed to be thicker. I found amongst the trees some currant and hawberry bushes; a small yellow-flowered violet; and the leaves of some other plants not yet in flower, particularly one which Mr Anderson supposed to be the _heracleum_ of Linnaeus, the sweet herb, which Steller, who attended Beering, imagined the Americans here dress for food, in the same manner as the natives of Kamtschatka.

[Footnote 7: Then sub-almoner and chaplain to his majesty, afterwards Dean of Lincoln.--D.]

We saw, flying about the wood, a crow; two or three of the white-headed eagles mentioned at Nootka; and another sort full as large, which appeared also of the same colour, or blacker, and had only a white breast.[8] In the pa.s.sage from the s.h.i.+p to the sh.o.r.e, we saw a great many fowls sitting upon the water, or flying about in flocks or pairs; the chief of which were a few quebrantaheuses, divers, ducks, or large peterels, gulls, s.h.a.gs, and burres. The divers were of two sorts; one very large, of a black colour, with a white breast and belly; the other smaller, and with a longer and more pointed bill, which seemed to be the common guillemot. The ducks were also of two sorts; one brownish, with a black or deep blue head and neck, and is perhaps the stone-duck described by Steller. The others fly in larger flocks, but are smaller than these, and are of a dirty black colour. The gulls were of the common sort, and those which fly in flocks. The s.h.a.gs were large and black, with a white spot behind the wings as they flew; but probably only the larger water cormorant.

There was also a single bird seen flying about, to appearance of the gull kind, of a snowy white colour, with black along part of the upper side of its wings. I owe all these remarks to Mr Anderson. At the place where we landed, a fox came from the verge of the wood, and eyed us with very little emotion, walking leisurely without any signs of fear. He was of a reddish-yellow colour, like some of the skins we bought at Nootka, but not of a large size. We also saw two or three little seals off sh.o.r.e; but no other animals or birds, nor the least signs of inhabitants having ever been upon the island.

[Footnote 8: This species is in the Leverian Museum, and described by Mr Latham, in his Synopsis of Birds, vol. i. p. 33, No. 72, under the name of the _White-bellied Eagle_.]

I returned on board at half past two in the afternoon; and, with a light breeze easterly, steered for the S.W. point of the island, which we got round by eight o'clock, and then stood for the westernmost land now in sight, which, at this time, bore N.W. 1/2 N. On the N.W. side of the N.E. end of Kaye's Island, lies another island, stretching S.E.

and N.W. about three leagues, to within the same distance of the N.W.

boundary of the bay above mentioned, which is distinguished by the name of _Comptroller's Bay_.

Next morning, at four o'clock, Kaye's Island was still in sight, bearing E. 1/4 S. At this time, we were about four or five leagues from the main; and the most western part in sight bore N.W. 1/2 N.

We had now a fresh gale at E.S.E., and as we advanced to the N.W., we raised land more and more westerly, and, at last, to the southward of W.; so that, at noon, when the lat.i.tude was 61 11", and the longitude 213 28', the most advanced land bore from us S.W. by W. 1/2 W. At the same time, the E. point of a large inlet bore W.N.W., three leagues distant.

From Comptroller's Bay to this point, which I named _Cape Hinchingbroke_, the direction of the coast is nearly E. and W. Beyond this, it seemed to incline to the southward; a direction so contrary to the modern charts founded upon the late Russian discoveries, that we had reason to expect that, by the inlet before us, we should find a pa.s.sage to the N.; and that the land to the W. and S.W. was nothing but a group of islands. Add to this, that the wind was now at S.E., and we were threatened with a fog and a storm; and I wanted to get into some place to stop the leak, before we encountered another gale.

These reasons induced me to steer for the inlet, which we had no sooner reached, than the weather became so foggy, that we could not see a mile before us, and it became necessary to secure the s.h.i.+ps in some place, to wait for a clearer sky. With this view, I hauled close under Cape Hinchingbroke, and anch.o.r.ed before a small cove, a little within the cape, in eight fathoms water, a clayey bottom, and about a quarter of a mile from the sh.o.r.e.

The boats were then hoisted out, some to sound, and others to fish.

The seine was drawn in the cove; but without success, for it was torn.

At some short intervals, the fog cleared away, and gave us a sight of the lands around us. The cape bore S. by W. 1/2 W., one league distant; the W. point of the inlet S.W. by W., distant five leagues; and the land on that side extended as far as W. by N. Between this point and N.W. by W., we could see no land; and what was in the last direction seemed to be at a great distance. The westernmost point we had in sight on the N. sh.o.r.e, bore N.N.W. 1/2 W., two leagues distant.

Between this point, and the sh.o.r.e under which we were at anchor, is a bay about three leagues deep; on the S.E. side of which there are two or three coves, such as that before which we had anch.o.r.ed, and in the middle some rocky islands.

To these islands Mr Gore was sent in a boat, in hopes of shooting some eatable birds. But he had hardly got to them, before about twenty natives made their appearance in two large canoes; on which he thought proper to return to the s.h.i.+ps, and they followed him. They would not venture alongside, but kept at some distance, hollowing aloud, and alternately clasping and extending their arms; and, in a short time, began a kind of song exactly after the manner of those at Nootka.

Their heads were also powdered with feathers. One man held out a white garment, which we interpreted as a sign of friends.h.i.+p; and another stood up in the canoe, quite naked, for almost a quarter of an hour, with his arms stretched out like a cross, and motionless. The canoes were not constructed of wood, as at King George's or Nootka Sound. The frame only, being slender laths, was of that substance; the outside consisting of the skins of seals, or of such like animals. Though we returned all their signs of friends.h.i.+p, and, by every expressive gesture, tried to encourage them to come alongside, we could not prevail. Some of our people repeated several of the common words of the Nootka language, such as _seekemaile_, and _mahook_; but they did not seem to understand them. After receiving some presents, which were thrown to them, they retired toward that part of the sh.o.r.e from whence they came; giving us to understand by signs, that they would visit us again the next morning. Two of them, however, each in a small canoe, waited upon us in the night; probably with a design to pilfer something, thinking we should be all asleep; for they retired as soon as they found themselves discovered.

During the night, the wind was at S.S.E., blowing hard and in squalls, with rain, and very thick weather. At ten o'clock next morning, the wind became more moderate, and the weather being somewhat clearer, we got under sail, in order to look out for some snug place, where we might search for, and stop the leak; our present station being too much exposed for this purpose. At first I proposed to have gone up the bay, before which we had anch.o.r.ed; but the clearness of the weather tempted me to steer to the northward, farther up the great inlet, as being all in our way. As soon as we had pa.s.sed the N.W. point of the bay above mentioned, we found the coast on that side to turn short to the eastward. I did not follow it, but continued our course to the north, for a point of land which we saw in that direction.

The natives who visited us the preceding evening, came off again in the morning, in five or six canoes; but not till we were under sail; and although they followed us for some time, they could not get up with us. Before two in the afternoon, the bad weather returned again, with so thick a haze, that we could see no other land besides the point just mentioned, which we reached at half past four, and found it to be a small island, lying about two miles from the adjacent coast, being a point of land, on the east side of which we discovered a fine bay, or rather harbour. To this we plied up, under reefed topsails and courses. The wind blew strong at S.E., and in excessively hard squalls, with rain. At intervals, we could see land in every direction; but in general the weather was so foggy, that we could see none but the sh.o.r.es of the bay into which we were plying. In pa.s.sing the island, the depth of water was twenty-six fathoms, with a muddy bottom. Soon after, the depth increased to sixty and seventy fathoms, a rocky bottom; but in the entrance of the bay, the depth was from thirty to six fathoms; the last very near the sh.o.r.e. At length, at eight o'clock, the violence of the squalls obliged us to anchor in thirteen fathoms, before we had got so far into the bay as I intended; but we thought ourselves fortunate that we had already sufficiently secured ourselves at this hour; for the night was exceedingly stormy.

The weather, bad as it was, did not hinder three of the natives from paying us a visit. They came off in two canoes; two men in one, and one in the other, being the number each could carry. For they were built and constructed in the same manner with those of the Esquimaux; only in the one were two holes for two men to sit in, and in the other but one. Each of these men had a stick, about three feet long, with the large feathers or wing of birds tied to it. These they frequently held up to us, with a view, as we guessed, to express their pacific disposition.[9]

[Footnote 9: Exactly corresponding to this, was the manner of receiving Beering's people, at the Schumagin Islands, on this coast, in 1741. Muller's words are--"On sait ce que c'est que le _Calumet_, que les Americans septentrionaux presentent en signe de paix. Ceux-ci en tenoient de pareils en main. C'etoient des batons avec _ailes de faucon_ attachees au bout"--Decouvertes, p. 268.--D.]

The treatment these men met with, induced many more to visit us, between one and two the next morning, in both great and small canoes.

Some ventured on board the s.h.i.+p; but not till some of our people had stepped into their boats. Amongst those who came on board, was a good-looking middle-aged man, whom we afterward found to be the chief.

He was cloathed in a dress made of the sea-otter's skin; and had on his head such a cap as is worn by the people of King George's Sound, ornamented with sky-blue gla.s.s beads, about the size of a large pea.

He seemed to set a much higher value upon these, than upon our white gla.s.s beads. Any sort of beads, however, appeared to be in high estimation with these people; and they readily gave whatever they had in exchange for them, even their fine sea-otter skins. But here I must observe, that they set no more value upon these than upon other skins, which was also the case at King George's Sound, till our people set a higher price upon them; and even after that, the natives of both places would sooner part with a dress made of these, than with one made of the skins of wild-cats or of martins.