Chapter XVI: Book IV (5)

About noon two canoes with a man in each came off to the ship, from near the place where we had seen the smoke the preceding day. They laboured very hard in paddling across the strong tide, and hesitated a little before they would come quite close; but upon signs being made to them, they approached. One of them talked a great deal to no purpose, for we did not understand a word he said. He kept pointing to the shore, which we interpreted to be an invitation to go thither. They accepted a few trifles from me, which I conveyed to them from the quarter gallery. These men in every respect resembled the people we had met with in Prince William’s Sound, as to their persons and dress. Their canoes were also of the same construction. One of our visitors had his face painted jet black, and seemed to have no beard; but the other, who was more elderly, had no paint, and a considerable beard, with a visage much like the common sort of the Prince William’s people. There was also smoke seen upon the flat western shore this day, from whence we may infer, that these lower spots and islands are the only inhabited places.

When the flood made, we weighed, and then the canoes left us. I stood over to the western shore, with a fresh gale at N. N. E., and fetched under the point above mentioned. This, with the other on the opposite shore, contracted the channel to the breadth of four leagues. Through this channel ran a prodigious tide. It looked frightful to us, who could not tell whether the agitation of the water was occasioned by the stream, or by the breaking of the waves against rocks or sands. As we met with no shoal, it was concluded to be the former; but in the end we found ourselves mistaken. I now kept the western shore aboard, it appearing to be the safest. Near the shore we had a depth of thirteen fathoms; and two or three miles off, forty and upward. At eight in the evening, we anchored under a point of land which bore N. E., three leagues distant, in fifteen fathoms water. Here we lay during the ebb, which ran near five knots in the hour.

Until we got thus far, the water had retained the same degree of saltness at low as at high water, and at both periods was as salt as that in the ocean. But now the marks of a river displayed themselves. The water taken up this ebb, when at the lowest, was found to be very considerably fresher than any we had hitherto tasted, insomuch that I was convinced that we were in a large river, and not in a strait, communicating with the northern seas. But as we had proceeded thus far, I was desirous of having stronger proofs, and therefore weighed with the next flood in the morning of the 31st, and plied higher up, or rather drove up with the tide, for we had but little wind.

About eight o’clock we were visited by several of the natives, in one large and several small canoes. The latter carried only one person each, and some had a paddle with a blade at each end, after the manner of the Esquimaux. In the large canoes were men, women, and children. Before they reached the ship, they displayed a leathern frock upon a long pole as a sign, as we understood it, of their peaceable intentions. This frock they conveyed into the ship, in return for some trifles which I gave them. I could observe no difference between the persons, dress, ornaments, and boats of these people, and those of Prince William’s Sound, except that the small canoes were rather of a less size, and carried only one man. We procured from them some of their fur dresses, made of the skins of sea-otters, martins, hares, and other animals, a few of their darts, and a small supply of salmon and halibut. In exchange for these they took old clothes, beads, and pieces of iron. We found that they were in possession of large iron knives, and of sky-blue glass beads, such as we had found amongst the natives of Prince William’s Sound. These latter they seemed to value much, and consequently those which we now gave them. But their inclination led them, especially, to ask for large pieces of iron, which metal, if I was not much mistaken, they called by the name of _goone_, though like their neighbours in Prince William’s Sound, they seemed to have many significations to one word. They evidently spoke the same language; as the words _keeta_, _naema_, _oonaka_, and a few others of the most common we heard in that sound, were also frequently used by this new tribe. After spending about two hours between the one ship and the other, they all retired to the western shore.

At nine o’clock we came to an anchor in sixteen fathoms water, about two leagues from the west shore, and found the ebb already begun. At its greatest strength it ran only three knots in the hour, and fell upon a perpendicular, after we had anchored, twenty-one feet. The weather was misty, with drizzling rain, and clear, by turns. At the clear intervals, we saw an opening between the mountains on the eastern shore, bearing east from the station of the ships, with low land, which we suppose to be islands lying between us and the main land. Low land was also seen to the northward, that seemed to extend from the foot of the mountains on the one side to those on the other; and at low water we perceived large shoals stretching out from this low land, some of which were at no great distance from us. From these appearances, we were in some doubt whether the inlet did not take an easterly direction, through the above opening, or whether that opening was only a branch of it, and the main channel continued its northern direction through the low land now in sight. The continuation and direction of the chain of mountains on each side of it strongly indicated the probability of the latter supposition.

To determine this point, and to examine the shoals, I dispatched two boats, under the command of the master; and, as soon as the flood-tide made, followed with the ships; but, as it was a dead calm, and the tide strong, I anchored, after driving about ten miles in an east direction. At the lowest of the preceding ebb, the water at the surface, and for near a foot below it, was found to be perfectly fresh; retaining, however, a considerable degree of saltness at a greater depth. Besides this, we had now many other and but too evident proofs of being in a great river; such as low shores, very thick and muddy water, large trees, and all manner of dirt and rubbish, floating up and down with the tide. In the afternoon the natives, in several canoes, paid us another visit; and trafficked with our people for some time, without ever giving us reason to accuse them of any act of dishonesty.

At two o’clock next morning, being the 1st of June, the master returned, and reported that he found the inlet, or rather river, contracted to the breadth of one league, by low land on each side, through which it took a northerly direction. He proceeded three leagues through this narrow part, which he found navigable for the largest ships, being from twenty to seventeen fathoms deep. The least water, at a proper distance from the shore and shoals, was ten fathoms; and this was before he entered the narrow part. While the ebb or stream ran down, the water was perfectly fresh; but after the flood made, it became brackish; and, toward high water, very much so, even as high up as he went. He landed upon an island, which lies between this branch and the eastern one; and upon it saw some currant bushes, with the fruit already set, and some other fruit-trees and bushes unknown to him. The soil appeared to be clay, mixed with sand. About three leagues beyond the extent of his search, or to the northward of it, he observed there was another separation in the eastern chain of mountains, through which he supposed the river took a north-east direction; but it seemed rather more probable that this was only another branch, and that the main channel kept its northern direction, between the two ridges or chains of mountains before mentioned. He found that these two ridges, as they extended to the north, inclined more and more to each other, but never appeared to close; nor was any elevated land seen between them, only low land, part woody, and part clear.

All hopes of finding a passage were now given up. But as the ebb was almost spent, and we could not return against the flood, I thought I might as well take the advantage of the latter, to get a nearer view of the eastern branch; and, by that means, finally to determine whether the low land on the east side of the river was an island, as we had supposed, or not. With this purpose in view, we weighed with the first of the flood, and, having a faint breeze at north-east, stood over for the eastern shore, with boats ahead, sounding. Our depth was from twelve to five fathoms; the bottom a hard gravel, though the water was exceedingly muddy. At eight o’clock a fresh breeze sprung up at east, blowing in an opposite direction to our course; so that I despaired of reaching the entrance of the river to which we were plying up, before high-water. But thinking that what the ships could not do, might be done with boats, I dispatched two, under the command of Lieutenant King, to examine the tides, and to make such observations as might give us some insight into the nature of the river.

At ten o’clock, finding the ebb begun, I anchored in nine fathoms water, over a gravelly bottom. Observing the tide to be too strong for the boats to make head against it, I made a signal for them to return on board, before they had got half way to the entrance of the river they were sent to examine, which bore from us S., 80° E., three leagues distant. The principal information gained by this tide’s work, was the determining that all the low land, which we had supposed to be an island or islands, was one continued tract, from the banks of the great river to the foot of the mountains, to which it joined; and that it terminated at the south entrance of this eastern branch, which I shall distinguish by the name of _River Turnagain_. On the north side of this river, the low land again begins, and stretches out from the foot of the mountains down to the banks of the great river; so that, before the river Turnagain, it forms a large bay, on the south side of which we were now at anchor, and where we had from twelve to five fathoms, from half-flood to high-water.

After we had entered the bay, the flood set strong into the river Turnagain; the ebb came out with still greater force; the water falling, while we lay at anchor, twenty feet upon a perpendicular. These circumstances convinced me, that no passage was to be expected by this side river, any more than by the main branch. However, as the water during the ebb, though very considerably fresher, had still a strong degree of saltness, it is but reasonable to suppose that both these branches are navigable by ships, much farther than we examined them; and that by means of this river, and its several branches, a very extensive inland communication lies open. We had traced it as high as the latitude of 61° 30ʹ, and the longitude of 201°; which is seventy leagues, or more, from its entrance, without seeing the least appearance of its source.

If the discovery of this great river[74], which promises to vie with the most considerable ones already known to be capable of extensive inland navigation, should prove of use either to the present or to any future age, the time we spent in it ought to be the less regretted. But to us, who had a much greater object in view, the delay thus occasioned was an essential loss. The season was advancing apace. We knew not how far we might have to proceed to the south; and we were now convinced that the continent of North America extended farther to the west than, from the modern most reputable charts, we had reason to expect. This made the existence of a passage into Baffin’s or Hudson’s Bays less probable, or, at least, showed it to be of greater extent. It was a satisfaction to me, however, to reflect that, if I had not examined this very considerable inlet, it would have been assumed, by speculative fabricators of geography, as a fact that it communicated with the sea to the north, or with Baffin’s or Hudson’s Bay to the east; and been marked, perhaps, on future maps of the world, with greater precision, and more certain signs of reality, than the invisible, because imaginary, Straits of de Fuca, and de Fonte.

In the afternoon I sent Mr. King again, with two armed boats, with orders to land on the northern point of the low land, on the south-east side of the river; there to display the flag, and to take possession of the country and river in his Majesty’s name; and to bury in the ground a bottle, containing some pieces of English coin, of the year 1772, and a paper, on which were inscribed the names of our ships, and the date of our discovery. In the mean time, the ships were got under sail, in order to proceed down the river. The wind still blew fresh, easterly; but a calm ensued not long after we were under way; and the flood-tide meeting us off the point where Mr. King landed (and which thence got the name of _Point Possession_), we were obliged to drop anchor in six fathoms water, with the point bearing south, two miles distant.

When Mr. King returned, he informed me, that as he approached the shore about twenty of the natives made their appearance, with their arms extended; probably to express thus their peaceable disposition, and to show that they were without weapons. On Mr. King’s and the gentlemen with him landing with muskets in their hands, they seemed alarmed, and made signs expressive of their request to lay them down. This was accordingly done; and then they suffered the gentlemen to walk up to them, and appeared to be cheerful and sociable. They had with them a few pieces of fresh salmon, and several dogs. Mr. Law, surgeon of the Discovery, who was one of the party, having bought one of the latter, took it down toward the boat and shot it dead in their sight. This seemed to surprize them exceedingly; and, as if they did not think themselves safe in such company, they walked away; but it was soon after discovered that their spears and other weapons were hid in the bushes close behind them. Mr. King also informed me that the ground was swampy, and the soil poor, light, and black. It produced a few trees and shrubs; such as pines, elders, birch, and willows; rose and currant bushes; and a little grass; but they saw not a single plant in flower.

We weighed anchor, as soon as it was high water, and, with a faint breeze southerly, stood over to the west shore, where the return of the flood obliged us to anchor early next morning. Soon after, several large and some small canoes with natives came off, who bartered their skins; after which they sold their garments, till many of them were quite naked. Amongst others, they brought a number of white hare or rabbit skins, and very beautiful reddish ones of foxes; but there were only two or three skins of otters. They also sold us some pieces of salmon and halibut. They preferred iron to every thing else offered to them in exchange. The lip-ornaments did not seem so frequent amongst them as at Prince William’s Sound; but they had more of those which pass through the nose, and, in general, these were also much longer. They had, however, a greater quantity of a kind of white and red embroidered work on some parts of their garments, and on other things, such as their quivers and knife-cases.

At half past ten we weighed with the first of the ebb, and having a gentle breeze at south, plied down the river; in doing of which, by the inattention and neglect of the man at the lead, the Resolution struck, and stuck fast on the bank, that lies nearly in the middle of the river, and about two miles above the two projecting bluff points before mentioned. This bank was, no doubt, the occasion of that very strong rippling, or agitation of the stream, which we had observed when turning up the river. There was not less than twelve feet depth of water about the ship, at the lowest of the ebb; but other parts of the bank were dry. As soon as the ship came aground, I made a signal for the Discovery to anchor. She, as I afterward understood, had been near ashore on the west side of the bank. As the flood-tide came in, the ship floated off, soon after five o’clock in the afternoon, without receiving the least damage, or giving us any trouble; and, after standing over to the west shore, into deep water, we anchored to wait for the ebb, as the wind was still contrary.

We weighed again with the ebb, at ten o’clock at night; and, between four and five next morning, when the tide was finished, once more cast anchor about two miles below the bluff point, on the west shore, in nineteen fathoms water. A good many of the natives came off, when we were in this station, and attended upon us all the morning. Their company was very acceptable; for they brought with them a large quantity of very fine salmon, which they exchanged for such trifles as we had to give them. Most of it was split ready for drying; and several hundred weight of it was procured for the two ships.

In the afternoon, the mountains, for the first time since our entering the river, were clear of clouds; and we discovered a volcano in one of those on the west side. It is in the latitude of 60° 23ʹ; and is the first high mountain to the north of Mount St. Augustin. The volcano is on that side of it that is next the river, and not far from the summit. It did not now make any striking appearance, emitting only a white smoke, but no fire.

The wind remaining southerly, we continued to tide it down the river; and, on the 5th, in the morning, coming to the place where we had lost our kedge-anchor, made an attempt to recover it, but without success. Before we left this place, six canoes came off from the east shore; some conducted by one, and others by two men. They remained at a little distance from the ships, viewing them, with a kind of silent surprize, at least half an hour, without exchanging a single word with us, or with one another. At length they took courage, and came alongside; began to barter with our people; and did not leave us till they had parted with every thing they brought with them, consisting of a few skins and some salmon. And here it may not be improper to remark, that all the people we had met with in this river seemed, by every striking instance of resemblance, to be of the same nation with those who inhabit Prince William’s Sound, but differing essentially from those of Nootka, or King George’s Sound, both in their persons and language. The language of these is rather more guttural; but, like the others, they speak strongly and distinct, in words which seem sentences.

I have before observed, that they are in possession of iron; that is, they have the points of their spears and knives of this metal; and some of the former are also made of copper. Their spears are like our spontoons; and their knives, which they keep in sheaths, are of a considerable length. These, with a few glass beads, are the only things we saw amongst them that were not of their own manufacture. I have already offered my conjectures from whence they derive their foreign articles; and shall only add here, that, if it were probable that they found their way to them from such of their neighbours with whom the Russians may have established a trade, I will be bold to say, the Russians themselves have never been amongst them; for, if that had been the case, we should hardly have found them clothed in such valuable skins as those of the sea-otter.

There is not the least doubt, that a very beneficial fur-trade might be carried on with the inhabitants of this vast coast. But unless a northern passage should be found practicable, it seems rather too remote for Great Britain to receive any emolument from it. It must, however, be observed, that the most valuable, or rather the only valuable skins, I saw on this west side of America, were those of the sea-otter. All their other skins seemed to be of an inferior quality; particularly those of their foxes and martins. It must also be observed, that most of the skins, which we purchased, were made up into garments. However, some of these were in good condition; but others were old and ragged enough; and all of them very lousy. But as these poor people make no other use of skins but for clothing themselves, it cannot be supposed that they are at the trouble of dressing more of them than are necessary for this purpose. And, perhaps, this is the chief use for which they kill the animals; for the sea and the rivers seem to supply them with their principal articles of food. It would, probably, be much otherwise, were they once habituated to a constant trade with foreigners. This intercourse would increase their wants, by introducing them to an acquaintance with new luxuries; and, in order to be enabled to purchase these, they would be more assiduous in procuring skins, which they would soon discover to be the commodity most sought for; and a plentiful supply of which, I make no doubt, would be had in the country.

It will appear, from what has been said occasionally of the tide, that it is considerable in this river, and contributes very much to facilitate the navigation of it. It is high-water in the stream, on the days of the new and full moon, between two and three o’clock, and the tide rises, upon a perpendicular, between three and four fathoms. The reason of the tide’s being greater here, than at other parts of this coast, is easily accounted for. The mouth of the river being situated in a corner of the coast, the flood that comes from the ocean is forced into it by both shores, and by that means swells the tide to a great height. A view of the chart will illustrate this.

The variation of the compass was 25° 40ʹ E.

CHAP. VII.

DISCOVERIES AFTER LEAVING COOK’S RIVER.—ISLAND OF ST. HERMOGENES.—CAPE
WHITSUNDAY.—CAPE GREVILLE.—CAPE BARNABAS.—TWO-HEADED POINT.—TRINITY
ISLAND.—BEERING’S FOGGY ISLAND.—A BEAUTIFUL BIRD DESCRIBED.—KODIAK AND
THE SCHUMAGIN ISLANDS.—A RUSSIAN LETTER BROUGHT ON BOARD BY A NATIVE.—
CONJECTURES ABOUT IT.—ROCK POINT.—HALIBUT ISLAND.—A VOLCANO MOUNTAIN.—
PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE.—ARRIVAL OF THE SHIPS AT OONALASCHKA.—INTERCOURSE
WITH THE NATIVES THERE.—ANOTHER RUSSIAN LETTER.—SAMGANOODHA HARBOUR
DESCRIBED.

As soon as the ebb tide made in our favour, we weighed, and, with a light breeze, between west south-west, and south south-west, plied down the river, till the flood obliged us to anchor again. At length, about one o’clock next morning, a fresh breeze sprung up at west, with which we got under sail, and, at eight, passed the Barren Isles, and stretched away for Cape St. Hermogenes. At noon this cape bore south south-east, eight leagues distant; and the passage between the island of that name, and the main land, bore south. For this passage I steered, intending to go through it; but soon after the wind failed us, and we had baffling light airs from the eastward, so that I gave up my design of carrying the ships between the island and the main.

At this time, we saw several columns of smoke on the coast of the continent, to the northward of the passage; and, most probably, they were meant as signals to attract us thither. Here the land forms a bay, or perhaps a harbour; off the north-west point of which lies a low rocky island. There are also some other islands of the same appearance, scattered along the coast, between this place and Point Banks.

At eight in the evening, the island of St. Hermogenes extended from south half east to south south-east, a quarter east; and the rocks that lie on the north side of it bore south-east, three miles distant. In this situation, we had forty fathoms water over a bottom of sand and shells. Soon after, on putting over hooks and lines, we caught several halibut.

At midnight, being past the rocks, we bore up to the southward; and, at noon, St. Hermogenes bore north, four leagues distant. At this time, the southernmost point of the main land, within or to the westward of St. Hermogenes, lay north half west, distant five leagues. This promontory, which is situated in the latitude of 58° 15ʹ, and in the longitude of 207° 24ʹ was named, after the day, _Cape Whitsunday_. A large bay, which lies to the west of it, obtained the name of _Whitsuntide Bay_. The land on the east side of this bay, of which Cape Whitsunday is the southern point, and Point Banks the northern one, is in all respects like the island of St. Hermogenes; seemingly destitute of wood, and partly free from snow. It was supposed to be covered with a mossy substance, that gave it a brownish cast. There were some reasons to think it was an island. If this be so, the last mentioned bay is only the straight or passage that separates it from the main land.

Between one and two in the afternoon, the wind, which had been at north-east, shifted at once to the southward. It was unsettled till six, when it fixed at south, which was the very direction of our course; so that we were obliged to ply up the coast. The weather was gloomy, and the air dry, but cold. We stood to the eastward till midnight; then tacked, and stood in for the land; and, between seven and eight in the morning of the 8th, we were within four miles of it, and not more than half a league from some sunken rocks, which bore west south-west. In this situation, we tacked in thirty-five fathoms water, the island of St. Hermogenes bearing north, 20° E., and the southernmost land in sight, south.

In standing in for this coast, we crossed the mouth of Whitsuntide Bay, and saw land all round the bottom of it; so that either the land is connected, or else the points lock in, one behind another. I am more inclined to think, that the former is the case; and that the land, east of the bay, is a part of the continent. Some small islands lie on the west of the bay. The sea-coast to the southward of it is rather low, with projecting rocky points, between which are small bays or inlets. There was no wood, and but little snow upon the coast; but the mountains, which lie at some distance inland, were wholly covered with the latter. We stood off till noon; then tacked, and stood in for the land. The latitude, at this time, was 57° 52-1/2ʹ; Cape St. Hermogenes bore north, 30° W. eight leagues distant, and the southernmost part of the coast in sight, the same that was seen before, bore south-west, ten leagues distant. The land here forms a point, which was named _Cape Greville_. It lies in the latitude of 57° 33ʹ, and in the longitude of 207° 15ʹ; and is distant fifteen leagues from Cape St. Hermogenes, in the direction of south, 17° W.

The three following days, we had almost constant misty weather, with drizzling rain; so that we seldom had a sight of the coast. The wind was south-east by south, and south south-east, a gentle breeze, and the air raw and cold. With this wind and weather, we continued to ply up the coast, making boards of six or eight leagues each. The depth of water was from thirty to fifty-five fathoms, over a coarse, black sandy bottom.

The fog clearing up, with the change of the wind to south-west, in the evening of the 12th, we had a sight of the land bearing west, twelve leagues distant. We stood in for it early next morning. At noon we were not above three miles from it; an elevated point, which obtained the name of _Cape Barnabas_, lying in the latitude of 57° 13ʹ bore north-east half east, ten miles distant; and the coast extended from north, 42° E. to west south-west. The north-east extreme was lost in a haze; but the point to the south-west, whose elevated summit terminated in two round hills, on that account was called _Two-headed Point_. This part of the coast, in which are several small bays, is composed of high hills and deep valleys; and in some places we could see the tops of other hills, beyond those that form the coast; which was but little incumbered with snow, but had a very barren appearance. Not a tree or bush was to be seen upon it: and, in general, it had a brownish hue, probably the effect of a mossy covering.

I continued to ply to the south-west by west, as the coast trended; and at six in the evening, being midway between Cape Barnabas and Two-headed Point, and two leagues from the shore, the depth of water was sixty-two fathoms. From this station, a low point of land made its appearance beyond Two-headed Point, bearing south, 69° W.; and without it other land, that had the appearance of an island, bore south, 59° W.

At noon, on the 13th, being in latitude 56° 49ʹ, Cape St. Barnabas bore north, 52° E.; Two-headed Point north, 14° W. seven or eight miles distant; and the coast of the continent extended as far as south, 72-1/2° W.; and the land seen the preceding evening, and supposed to be an island, now appeared like two islands. From whatever quarter Two-headed Point was viewed, it had the appearance of being an island; or else it is a peninsula, on each side of which the shore forms a bay. The wind still continued westerly, a gentle breeze, the weather rather dull and cloudy, and the air sharp and dry.

We were well up with the southernmost land next morning, and found it to be an island, which was named _Trinity Island_. Its greatest extent is six leagues in the direction of east and west. Each end is elevated naked land, and in the middle it is low; so that, at a distance, from some points of view, it assumes the appearance of two islands. It lies in the latitude of 56° 36ʹ, and in the longitude of 205°; and between two and three leagues from the continent; which space is interspersed with small islands and rocks; but there seemed to be good passage enough, and also safe anchorage. At first, we were inclined to think, that this was Beering’s _Foggy Island_[75]; but its situation so near the main does not suit his chart.

At eight in the evening, we stood in for the land, till we were within a league of the above-mentioned small islands. The westernmost part of the continent now in sight, being a low point facing Trinity Island, and which we called _Cape Trinity_, now bore west north-west. In this situation, having tacked in fifty-four fathoms water, over a bottom of black sand, we stood over for the island, intending to work up between it and the main. The land to the westward of Two-headed Point is not so mountainous as it is to the north-east of it, nor does the snow lie upon it. There are, however, a good many hills considerably elevated; but they are disjoined by large tracts of flat land that appeared to be perfectly destitute of wood, and very barren.

As we were standing over toward the island, we met two men in a small canoe, paddling from it to the main. Far from approaching us, they seemed rather to avoid it. The wind now began to incline to the south; and we had reason to expect, that it would soon be at south-east. Experience having taught us, that a south-easterly wind was generally, if not always, accompanied by a thick fog, I was afraid to venture through between the island and the continent, lest the passage should not be accomplished before night, or before the thick weather came on, when we should be obliged to anchor, and by that means lose the advantage of a fair wind. These reasons induced me to stretch out to sea; and we passed two or three rocky islets that lie near the east end of Trinity Island. At four in the afternoon, having weathered the island, we tacked, and steered west, southerly, with a fresh gale at south south-east; which, before midnight, veered to the south-east; and was, as usual, attended with misty, drizzling, rainy weather.

By the course we steered all night, I was in hopes of falling in with the continent in the morning. And, doubtless, we should have seen it, had the weather been in the least clear; but the fog prevented. Seeing no land at noon, and the gale increasing, with a thick fog and rain, I steered west north-west, under such sail as we could easily haul the wind with; being fully sensible of the danger of running before a strong gale in a thick fog, in the vicinity of an unknown coast. It was, however, necessary to run some risk when the wind favoured us; for clear weather, we had found, was generally accompanied with winds from the west.

Between two and three in the afternoon, land was seen through the fog, bearing north-west, not more than three or four miles distant. Upon this we immediately hauled up south, close to the wind. Soon after the two courses were split, so that we had others to bring to the yards; and several others of our sails received considerable damage. At nine the gale abated; the weather cleared up; and we got sight of the coast again, extending from west by south to north-west, about four or five leagues distant. On sounding, we found a hundred fathoms water, over a muddy bottom. Soon after, the fog returned, and we saw no more of the land all night.

At four next morning, the fog being now dispersed, we found ourselves in a manner surrounded by land; the continent, or what was supposed to be the continent, extending from west south-west to north-east by north; and some elevated land, bearing south-east half south; by estimation eight or nine leagues distant. The north-east extreme of the main was the same point of land that we had fallen in with during the fog; and we named it _Foggy Cape_. It lies in latitude 56° 31ʹ. At this time, having but little wind all night, a breeze sprung up at north-west. With this we stood to the southward, to make the land, seen in that direction, plainer.

At nine o’clock, we found it to be an island of about nine leagues in compass; lying in the latitude of 56° 10ʹ, and in the longitude of 220° 45ʹ; and it is distinguished in our chart by the name of _Foggy Island_; having reason to believe, from its situation, that it is the same which had that name given to it by Beering. At the same time, three or four islands, lying before a bay, formed by the coast of the main land, bore north by west; a point, with three or four pinnacle rocks upon it, which was called _Pinnacle Point_, bore north-west by west; and a cluster of small islets, or rocks, lying about nine leagues from the coast south south-east.

At noon, when our latitude was 56° 9ʹ, and our longitude 201° 45ʹ, these rocks bore south, 58° E., ten miles distant; Pinnacle Point, north north-west, distant seven leagues; the nearest part of the main land north-west by west, six leagues distant; and the most advanced land to the south-west, which had the appearance of being an island, bore west, a little southerly. In the afternoon, we had little or no wind, so that our progress was inconsiderable. At eight in the evening, the coast extended from south-west to north north-east; the nearest part about eight leagues distant.

On the 17th, the wind was between west and north-west, a gentle breeze, and sometimes almost calm. The weather was clear, and the air sharp and dry. At noon, the continent extended from south-west to north by east; the nearest part seven leagues distant. A large group of islands lying about the same distance from the continent, extended from south 26° W., to south 52° W.

It was calm great part of the 18th; and the weather was clear and pleasant. We availed ourselves of this, by making observations for the longitude and variation. The latter was found to be 21° 27ʹ E. There can be no doubt that there is a continuation of the continent between Trinity Island and Foggy Cape, which the thick weather prevented us from seeing. For some distance to the south-west of that cape, this country is more broken or rugged than any part we had yet seen, both with respect to the hills themselves and to the coast, which seemed full of creeks, or small inlets, none of which appeared to be of any great depth. Perhaps, upon a closer examination, some of the projecting points between these inlets will be found to be islands. Every part had a very barren aspect; and was covered with snow, from the summits of the highest hills, down to a very small distance from the sea-coast.

Having occasion to send a boat on board the Discovery, one of the people in her shot a very beautiful bird of the hawk kind. It is somewhat less than a duck, and of a black colour, except the fore-part of the head, which is white; and from above and behind each eye arises an elegant yellowish-white crest, revolved backward as a ram’s horn. The bill and feet are red. It is, perhaps, the _alca monochora_ of Steller, mentioned in the history of Kamtschatka.[76] I think the first of these birds was seen by us a little to the southward of Cape St. Hermogenes. From that time we generally saw some of them every day, and sometimes in large flocks. Besides these, we daily saw most of the other sea-birds that are commonly found in other northern oceans; such as gulls, shags, puffins, sheerwaters, and sometimes ducks, geese, and swans. And seldom a day passed without seeing seals, whales, and other large fish.

In the afternoon, we got a light breeze of wind southerly, which enabled us to steer west for the channel that appeared between the islands and the continent; and at day-break next morning, we were at no great distance from it, and found several other islands within those already seen by us, of various extent, both in height and circuit. But between these last islands and those before seen, there seemed to be a clear channel, for which I steered, being afraid to keep the coast of the continent aboard, lest we should mistake some point of it for an island, and by that means be drawn into some inlet, and lose the advantage of the fair wind which at this time blew.

I therefore kept along the southernmost chain of islands; and at noon we were in the latitude of 55° 18ʹ, and in the narrowest part of the channel, formed by them and those which lie along the continent, where it is about a league and a half or two leagues over. The largest island in this group was now on our left, and is distinguished by the name of _Kodiak_[77], according to the information we afterward received. I left the rest of them without names. I believe them to be the same that Beering calls Schumagin’s Islands[78]; or those islands which he called by that name, to be a part of them; for this group is pretty extensive. We saw islands as far to the southward as an island could be seen. They commence in the longitude of 200° 15ʹ E., and extend a degree and a half, or two degrees, to the westward. I cannot be particular; as we could not distinguish all the islands from the coast of the continent. Most of these islands are of a good height, very barren and rugged; abounding with rocks and steep cliffs, and exhibiting other romantic appearances. There are several snug bays and coves about them; streams of fresh water run from their elevated parts; some drift-wood was floating around; but not a tree or bush was to be seen growing on the land. A good deal of snow still lay on many of them; and the parts of the continent, which showed themselves between the innermost islands, were quite covered with it.

At four in the afternoon, we had passed all the islands that lay to the southward of us; the southernmost, at this time, bearing S. 3° E., and the westernmost point of land now in sight, S., 82° W. For this point we steered, and passed between it and two or three elevated rocks that lie about a league to the east of it.

Some time after we had got through this channel, in which we found forty fathoms water, the Discovery, now two miles astern, fired three guns, and brought to, and made the signal to speak with us. This alarmed me not a little; and as no apparent danger had been remarked in the passage through the channel, it was apprehended that some accident, such as springing a leak, must have happened. A boat was immediately sent to her; and in a short time returned with Captain Clerke. I now learned from him that some natives, in three or four canoes, who had been following the ship for some time, at length got under his stern. One of them then made many signs, taking off his cap, and bowing, after the manner of Europeans. A rope being handed down from the ship, to this he fastened a small thin wooden case or box; and having delivered this safe, and spoken something, and made some signs, the canoes dropped astern, and left the Discovery. No one on board her had any suspicion that the box contained any thing till after the departure of the canoes, when it was accidentally opened, and a piece of paper was found, folded up carefully, upon which something was written in the Russian language, as was supposed. The date 1778 was prefixed to it; and, in the body of the written note there was a reference to the year 1776. Not learned enough to decypher the alphabet of the writer, his numerals marked sufficiently that others had preceded us in visiting this dreary part of the globe, who were united to us by other ties besides those of our common nature; and the hopes of soon meeting with some of the Russian traders, could not but give a sensible satisfaction to those who had, for such a length of time, been conversant with the savages of the Pacific Ocean, and of the continent of North America.

Captain Clerke was at first of opinion, that some Russians had been shipwrecked here; and that these unfortunate persons, seeing our ships pass, had taken this method to inform us of their situation. Impressed with humane sentiments, on such an occasion, he was desirous of our stopping till they might have time to join us. But no such idea occurred to me. It seemed obvious that if this had been the case, it would have been the first step taken by such shipwrecked persons, in order to secure to themselves, and to their companions, the relief they could not but be solicitous about, to send some of their body off to the ships in the canoes. For this reason, I rather thought that the paper contained a note of information, left by some Russian trader, who had lately been amongst these islands, to be delivered to the next of their countrymen who should arrive; and that the natives, seeing our ships pass, and supposing us to be Russians, had resolved to bring off the note, thinking it might induce us to stop. Fully convinced of this, I did not stay to enquire any farther into the matter; but made sail, and stood away to the westward, along the coast; perhaps I should say along the islands; for we could not pronounce, with certainty, whether the nearest land within us was continent or islands. If not the latter, the coast here forms some tolerably large and deep bays.

We continued to run all night with a gentle breeze at north-east; and at two o’clock next morning, some breakers were seen within us, at the distance of two miles. Two hours after others were seen ahead; and, on our larboard bow, and between us and the land, they were innumerable. We did but just clear them by holding a south course. These breakers were occasioned by rocks; some of which were above water. They extend several leagues from the land; and are very dangerous, especially in thick weather, to which this coast seems much subject. At noon we had just got on their outside; and, by observation, we were in the latitude of 54° 44ʹ, and in the longitude of 198°. The nearest land, being an elevated bluff point, which was called _Rock Point_, bore north, seven or eight leagues distant; the westernmost part of the main, or what was supposed to be the main, bore N. 80° W.; and a round hill, without which was found to be an island, and was called _Halibut-head_, bore S. 65° W., thirteen leagues distant.

On the 21st at noon, having made but little progress, on account of faint winds and calms, Halibut-head, which lies in the latitude of 54° 27ʹ, and in the longitude of 197°, bore N. 24° W.; and the island on which it is, and called _Halibut Island_, extended from N. by E., to N. W. by W. two leagues distant. This island is seven or eight leagues in circuit; and, except the head, the land of it is low and very barren. There are several small islands near it, all of the same appearance; but there seemed to be a passage between them and the main, two or three leagues broad.

The rocks and breakers before mentioned, forced us so far from the continent, that we had but a distant view of the coast between Rock Point and Halibut Island. Over this and the adjoining islands, we could see the main land covered with snow; but particularly some hills, whose elevated tops were seen towering above the clouds to a most stupendous height. The most south-westerly of these hills was discovered to have a _volcano_, which continually threw up vast columns of black smoke. It stands not far from the coast; and in the latitude of 54° 48ʹ, and the longitude of 195° 45ʹ. It is also remarkable from its figure, which is a complete cone; and the _volcano_ is at the very summit. We seldom saw this (or indeed any other of these mountains) wholly clear of clouds. At times both base and summit would be clear; when a narrow cloud, sometimes two or three, one above another, would embrace the middle, like a girdle; which, with the column of smoke, rising perpendicular to a great height out of its top, and spreading before the wind into a tail of vast length, made a very picturesque appearance. It may be worth remarking that the wind, at the height to which the smoke of this _volcano_ reached, moved sometimes in a direction contrary to what it did at sea, even when it blew a fresh gale.

In the afternoon, having three hours calm, our people caught upward of a hundred halibuts, some of which weighed a hundred pounds, and none less than twenty pounds. This was a very seasonable refreshment to us. In the height of our fishing, which was in thirty-five fathoms water, and three or four miles from the shore, a small canoe, conducted by one man, came to us from the large island. On approaching the ship, he took off his cap, and bowed, as the other had done who visited the Discovery the preceding day. It was evident that the Russians must have a communication and traffic with these people, not only from their acquired politeness, but from the note above-mentioned. But we had now a fresh proof of it, for our present visitor wore a pair of green cloth breeches, and a jacket of black cloth, or stuff, under the gut-shirt, or frock, of his own country. He had nothing to barter, except a grey fox skin, and some fishing implements or harpoons, the heads of the shafts of which, for the length of a foot or more, were neatly made of bone, as thick as a walking cane, and carved. He had with him a bladder full of something, which we supposed to be oil, for he opened it, took a mouthful, and then fastened it again.

His canoe was of the same make with those we had seen before, but rather smaller. He used the double-bladed paddle, as did also those who had visited the Discovery. In his size and features, he exactly resembled those we saw in Prince William’s Sound, and in the Great River; but he was quite free from paint of any kind, and had the perforation of his lip made in an oblique direction, without any ornament in it. He did not seem to understand any of the words commonly used by our visitors in the sound, when repeated to him. But perhaps our faulty pronunciation, rather than his ignorance of the dialect, may be inferred from this.

The weather was cloudy and hazy, with now and then sunshine, till the afternoon of the 22d, when the wind came round to the S. E., and, as usual, brought thick rainy weather. Before the fog came on, no part of the main land was in sight, except the _volcano_, and another mountain close by it. I continued to steer W. till seven in the evening, when, being apprehensive of falling in with the land in thick weather, we hauled the wind to the southward, till two o’clock next morning, and then bore away again W. We made but little progress, having the wind variable and but little of it, till at last it fixed in the western board, and at five in the afternoon, having a gleam of sunshine, we saw land bearing N. 59° W., appearing in hillocks like islands.

At six in the morning of the 24th, we got a sight of the continent, and at nine it was seen extending from N. E. by E. to S. W. by W., 1/2 W., the nearest part about four leagues distant. The land to the S. W. proved to be islands, the same that had been seen the preceding evening; but the other was a continuation of the continent, without any islands to obstruct our view of it. In the evening, being about four leagues from the shore, in forty-two fathoms water, having little or no wind, we had recourse to our hooks and lines, but only two or three small cod were caught.