CHAP. IV.

A STORM AFTER SAILING FROM NOOTKA SOUND.—RESOLUTION SPRINGS A LEAK.—PRETENDED STRAIT OF ADMIRAL DE FONTE PASSED UNEXAMINED.—PROGRESS ALONG THE COAST OF AMERICA.—BEERING’S BAY.—KAYE’S ISLAND.—ACCOUNT OF IT.—THE SHIPS COME TO 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 PASSAGE TO THE NORTH THROUGH IT.—THE SHIPS 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, shifted from N. E. to S. E. by E., and increased to a strong gale with squalls and rain, and so dark a sky that we could not see the length of the ship. Being apprehensive, from the experience I had since our arrival on this coast, of the wind veering more to the S., which would put us in danger of a lee-shore, we got the tacks on board, and stretched off to the S. W., under all the sail the ships could bear. Fortunately the wind veered no farther southerly than S. E., 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 N. W., in which direction I supposed the coast to lie. The wind was at S. E., 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 ships 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 buttock; 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 ship 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 S., 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 latitude, by observation, was 50° 1ʹ; longitude 229° 26ʹ. [52] 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 passing the place where geographers [53] 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. The same day at noon we were in the latitude of 53° 22ʹ, and in the longitude of 225° 14ʹ.

The next morning, being the first 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 latitude at noon was 54° 43ʹ, and our longitude 224° 44ʹ. At seven in the evening, being in the latitude of 55° 20ʹ, 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. [54]

At this time the northern point of an inlet, or what appeared to be one, bore E. by S. It lies in the latitude of 56°, and from it to the northward, the coast seemed to be much broken, forming bays and 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 passed a group of small islands lying under the main land, in the latitude of 56° 48ʹ, and off, or rather to the northward of, the S. point of a large bay. An arm of this bay, in the northern part of it, seemed to extend in toward the N., behind a round elevated mountain that lies between it and the sea. This mountain I called Mount Edgecumbe, and the point of land that shoots out from it, Cape Edgecumbe. The latter lies in the latitude of 57° 3ʹ, and in the longitude of 224° 7ʹ, and at noon it bore N. 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 Edgecumbe 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 Edgecumbe to trend to 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 latitude of 57° 20ʹ [55] ; 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 Edgecumbe, and make the land of that cape an island. At eight o’clock in the evening, the cape bore south-east half south; 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., half W., and N. W. by W., as the coast trended, with a fine gale at N. E., and clear weather.

At half an hour past four in the morning, on the 3d, Mount Edgecumbe 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 Fair Weather, 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 south east point of this sound is a high promontory, which obtained the name of Cross Cape. It lies in the latitude of 57° 57ʹ, and its longitude is 223° 21ʹ. At noon it bore south-east; and the point, under the peaked mountain, which was called Cape Fair Weather, north by west a quarter west, distant thirteen leagues. Our latitude at this time was 58° 17ʹ, and our longitude 222° 14ʹ; and we were distant from the shore three or four leagues. In this situation we found the variation of the compass to be from 24° 11ʹ to 26° 11ʹ E.

Here the north-east wind left us, and was succeeded by light breezes from the north-west, which lasted for several days. I stood to the south-west, and west-south-west, till eight o’clock the next morning, when we tacked and stood toward the shore. At noon the latitude was 58° 22ʹ, and the longitude 220° 45ʹ. Mount Fair Weather, the peaked mountain over the cape of the same name, bore N., 63° E.; the shore under it twelve leagues distant. This mountain, which lies in the latitude of 58° 52ʹ, 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 north-west entrance of Cross Sound, and extend to the north-west 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 shore of the continent [56] . At five in the afternoon, our latitude being then 58° 53ʹ, and our longitude 220° 52ʹ; the summit of an elevated mountain appeared above the horizon, being N. 26° W.; and, as was afterward found, forty leagues distant. We supposed it to be Beering’s Mount St. Elias; and it stands by that name in our chart.

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 upper part of the wings with a black band; and the rest blueish 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 latitude of 59° 8ʹ, and in the longitude of 220° 19ʹ. Mount Fair Weather bore S., 63° E., and Mount Elias N., 30° W.; the nearest land about eight leagues distant. In the direction of north, 47° E. from this station, there was the appearance of a bay, and an island off the south point of it, that was covered with wood. It is here where I suppose Commodore Beering to have anchored. The latitude, which is 59° 18ʹ, corresponds pretty well with the map of his voyage [57] , 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 twenty fathoms’ water over a muddy bottom. The calm was succeeded by a light breeze from the north, with which we stood to the westward; and at noon the next day we were in the latitude of 59° 27ʹ, and the longitude of 219° 7ʹ. In this situation, Mount Fair Weather bore S., 70ʹ E.; Mount St. Elias N. half W.; the westernmost land in sight, N., 52° W.; and our distance from the shore 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.

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 latitude was 59° 30ʹ, 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 latitude of 60° 27ʹ, 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 latitude was 59° 51ʹ, and our longitude 215° 56ʹ, being no more than three leagues from the coast of the continent, which extended from east half north, to north-west half west, 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 north-east 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 passage 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 north-east, shifted to north. 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 shore, I left a bottle, with a paper in it, on which were inscribed the names of the ships, and the date of our discovery. And along with it I inclosed two silver twopenny pieces of his Majesty’s coin, of the date 1772. These, with many others, were furnished me by the Reverend Dr. Kaye [58] ; 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 north-east and south-west; but its breadth is not above a league, or a league and a half, in any part of it. The south-west point, which lies in the latitude of 59° 49ʹ, and the longitude of 216° 58ʹ, 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 shore interrupted by small valleys 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 valleys 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 shore, 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 shipping 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 Linnæus, the sweet herb, which Steller, who attended Beering, imagined the Americans here dress for food, in the same manner as the natives of Kamtschatka. [59]

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. In the passage from the ship to the shore, we saw a great many fowls sitting upon the water, or flying about in flocks or pairs; the chief of which were a few quebrantahuesses, divers, ducks, or large peterels, gulls, shags, 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 shags 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 shore; but no other animals or birds, nor the least signs of inhabitants having ever been upon the island.

I returned on board at half past two in the afternoon; and, with a light breeze easterly, steered for the south-west 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 north-west half north. On the north-west side of the north-east end of Kaye’s Island, lies another island, stretching south-east and north-west about three leagues, to within the same distance of the north-west 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 east a quarter south. At this time, we were about four or five leagues from the main; and the most western part in sight bore north-west half north. We had now a fresh gale at east-south-east; and as we advanced to the north-west, we raised land more and more westerly; and, at last, to the southward of west; so that at noon, when the latitude was 61° 11ʹ, and the longitude 213° 28ʹ, the most advanced land bore from us south-west by west half west. At the same time, the east point of a large inlet bore west-north-west, three leagues distant.

From Comptroller’s Bay to this point, which I name Cape Hinchingbroke, the direction of the coast is nearly east and west. 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 passage to the north; and that the land to the west and south-west was nothing but a group of islands. Add to this, that the wind was now at south-east, 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 ships in some place, to wait for a clearer sky. With this view, I hauled close under Cape Hinchingbroke, and anchored 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 shore.

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 south by west half west, one league distant; the west point of the inlet south-west by west, distant five leagues; and the land on that side extended as far as west by north. Between this point and north-west by west, 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 north shore, bore north north-west half west, two leagues distant. Between this point and the shore under which we were at anchor is a bay about three leagues deep; on the south-east side of which there are two or three coves, such as that before which we had anchored; 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 ships, and they followed him. They would not venture along-side, but kept at some distance, holloing 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 friendship; 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 friendship, and, by every expressive gesture, tried to encourage them to come along-side, 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 shore 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 south south-east, 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 anchored; 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 passed the north-west 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 south-east, 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 shores of the bay into which we were plying. In passing 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 shore. 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. [60]

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 ship; 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 clothed 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 glass beads, about the size of a large pea. He seemed to set a much higher value upon these, than upon our white glass 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.

These people were also desirous of iron; but they wanted pieces eight or ten inches long at least, and of the breadth of three or four fingers. For they absolutely rejected small pieces. Consequently they got but little from us; iron having, by this time, become rather a scarce article. The points of some of their spears or lances were of that metal; others were of copper, and a few of bone; of which the points of their darts, arrows, &c. were composed. I could not prevail upon the chief to trust himself below the upper deck; nor did he and his companions remain long on board. But while we had their company, it was necessary to watch them narrowly, as they soon betrayed a thievish disposition. At length, after being about three or four hours alongside the Resolution, they all left her, and went to the Discovery; none having been there before, except one man, who at this time, came from her, and immediately returned thither in company with the rest. When I observed this, I thought this man had met with something there, which he knew would please his countrymen better than what they met with at our ship. But in this I was mistaken, as will soon appear.

As soon as they were gone, I sent a boat to sound the head of the bay. For, as the wind was moderate, I had thoughts of laying the ship ashore, if a convenient place could be found where I might begin our operations to stop the leak. It was not long before all the Americans left the Discovery, and instead of returning to us, made their way toward our boat employed as above. The officer in her seeing this, returned to the ship, and was followed by all the canoes. The boat’s crew had no sooner come on board, leaving in her two of their number by way of a guard, than some of the Americans stepped into her. Some presented their spears before the two men; others cast loose the rope which fastened her to the ship; and the rest attempted to tow her away. But the instant they saw us preparing to oppose them, they let her go, stepped out of her into canoes, and made signs to us to lay down our arms, having the appearance of being as perfectly unconcerned as if they had done nothing amiss. This, though rather a more daring attempt, was hardly equal to what they had meditated on board the Discovery. The man who came and carried all his countrymen from the Resolution to the other ship, had first been on board of her; where, after looking down all the hatchways, and seeing nobody but the officer of the watch, and one or two more, he, no doubt, thought they might plunder her with ease; especially as she lay at some distance from us. It was unquestionably with this view that they all repaired to her. Several of them, without any ceremony, went on board; drew their knives; made signs to the officer and people on deck to keep off; and began to look about them for plunder. The first thing they met with was the rudder of one of the boats, which they threw over-board to those of their party who had remained in the canoes. Before they had time to find another object that pleased their fancy, the crew were alarmed, and began to come upon deck armed with cutlasses. On seeing this, the whole company of plunderers sneaked off into their canoes, with as much deliberation and indifference as they had given up the boat; and they were observed describing to those who had not been on board, how much longer the knives of the ship’s crew were than their own. It was at this time, that my boat was on the sounding duty; which they must have seen; for they proceeded directly for her, after their disappointment at the Discovery. I have not the least doubt, that their visiting us so very early in the morning, was with a view to plunder; on a supposition, that they should find every body asleep.

May we not, from these circumstances, reasonably infer, that these people are unacquainted with fire-arms? For certainly, if they had known any thing of their effect, they never would have dared to attempt taking a boat from under a ship’s guns, in the face of above a hundred men; for most of my people were looking at them, at the very instant they made the attempt. However, after all these tricks, we had the good fortune to leave them as ignorant, in this respect, as we found them. For they neither heard nor saw a musket fired, unless at birds.

Just as we were going to weigh the anchor, to proceed farther up the bay, it began to blow and to rain as hard as before; so that we were obliged to bear away the cable again, and lay fast. Toward the evening, finding that the gale did not moderate, and that it might be some time before an opportunity offered to get higher up, I came to a resolution to heel the ship where we were; and with this view, moored her with a kedge-anchor and hawser. In heaving the anchor out of the boat, one of the seamen, either through ignorance or carelessness, or both, was carried overboard by the buoy-rope, and followed the anchor to the bottom. It is remarkable, that, in this very critical situation, he had presence of mind to disengage himself, and come up to the surface of the water, where he was taken up, with one of his legs fractured in a dangerous manner.

Early the next morning we gave the ship a good heel to port, in order to come at and stop the leak. On ripping off the sheathing, it was found to be in the seams, which were very open, both in and under the wale; and, in several places, not a bit of oakum in them. While the carpenters were making good these defects, we filled all our empty water-casks at a stream hard by the ship. The wind was now moderate, but the weather was thick and hazy, with rain.

The natives, who left us the preceding day, when the bad weather came on, paid us another visit this morning. Those who came first were in small canoes; others afterward arrived in large boats; in one of which were twenty women and one man, besides children.

In the evening of the 16th, the weather cleared up; and we then found ourselves surrounded on every side by land. Our station was on the east side of the sound, in a place which in the chart is distinguished by the name of Snug Corner Bay; and a very snug place it is. I went, accompanied by some of the officers, to view the head of it; and we found that it was sheltered from all winds; with a depth of water from seven to three fathoms over a muddy bottom. The land near the shore is low; part clear and part wooded. The clear ground was covered, two or three feet thick, with snow; but very little lay in the woods. The very summits of the neighbouring hills were covered with wood; but those farther inland seemed to be naked rocks, buried in snow.

The leak being stopped, and the sheathing made good over it, at four o’clock in the morning of the 17th, we weighed, and steered to the north-westward, with a light breeze at east-north-east; thinking if there should be any passage to the north through this inlet, that it must be in that direction. Soon after we were under sail, the natives, in both great and small canoes, paid us another visit, which gave us an additional opportunity of forming a more perfect idea of their persons, dress, and other particulars, which shall be afterward described. Our visitors seemed to have no other business but to gratify their curiosity; for they entered into no sort of traffic with us. After we had got over to the north-west point of the arm in which we had anchored, we found that the flood-tide came into the inlet, through the same channel by which we had entered. Although this circumstance did not make wholly against a passage, it was, however, nothing in its favour. After passing the point above mentioned, we met with a good deal of foul ground, and many sunken rocks, even out in the middle of the channel, which is here five or six leagues wide. At this time the wind failed us, and was succeeded by calms and light airs from every direction; so that we had some trouble to extricate ourselves from the threatening danger. At length, about one o’clock, with the assistance of our boats, we got to an anchor, under the eastern shore, in thirteen fathoms’ water, and about four leagues to the north of our last station. In the morning the weather had been very hazy; but it afterward cleared up, so as to give us a distinct view of all the land round us, particularly to the northward, where it seemed to close. This left us but little hopes of finding a passage that way; or indeed, in any other direction, without putting out again to sea.

To enable me to form a better judgment, I dispatched Mr. Gore, with two armed boats, to examine the northern arm; and the master, with two other boats, to examine another arm that seemed to take an easterly direction. Late in the evening they both returned. The master reported that the arm he had been sent to communicated with that from which he had last come; and that one side of it was only formed by a group of islands. Mr. Gore informed me that he had seen the entrance of an arm, which, he was of opinion, extended a long way to the north-east; and that probably by it a passage might be found. On the other hand, Mr. Roberts, one of the mates, whom I had sent with Mr. Gore to sketch out the parts they had examined, was of opinion that they saw the head of this arm. The disagreement of these two opinions, and the circumstance already mentioned of the flood-tide entering the sound from the south, rendered the existence of a passage this way very doubtful. And, as the wind in the morning had become favourable for getting out to sea, I resolved to spend no more time in searching for a passage in a place that promised so little success. Besides this, I considered that if the land on the west should prove to be islands, agreeably to the late Russian discoveries [61] , we could not fail of getting far enough to the north, and that in good time; provided we did not lose the season in searching places where a passage was not only doubtful, but improbable. We were now upward of five hundred and twenty leagues to the westward of any part of Baffin’s, or of Hudson’s Bay. And whatever passage there may be, it must be, or at least part of it must lie to the north of latitude 72°. [62] Who could expect to find a passage or strait of such extent?

Having thus taken my resolution, next morning, at three o’clock, we weighed, and with a gentle breeze at north, proceeded to the southward down the inlet; and met with the same broken ground as on the preceding day. However, we soon extricated ourselves from it, and afterward never struck ground with a line of forty fathoms. Another passage into this inlet was now discovered, to the south-west of that by which we came in, which enabled us to shorten our way out to sea. It is separated from the other by an island, extending eighteen leagues in the direction of north-east and south-west; to which I gave the name of Montagu Island.

In this south-west channel are several islands. Those that lie in the entrance, next the open sea, are high and rocky. But those within are low ones; and being entirely free from snow, and covered with wood and verdure, on this account they were called Green Islands.

At two in the afternoon the wind veered to the south-west, and south-west by south, which reduced us to the necessity of plying. I first stretched over to within two miles of the eastern shore, and tacked in fifty-three fathoms’ water. In standing back to Montagu Island, we discovered a ledge of rocks; some above, and others under water, lying three miles within, or to the north of the northern point of Green Islands. Afterward some others were seen in the middle of the channel, farther out than the islands. These rocks made unsafe plying in the night (though not very dark); and, for that reason, we spent it standing off and on, under Montagu Island; for the depth of water was too great to come to an anchor.

At day-break, the next morning, the wind became more favourable, and we steered for the channel between Montagu Island and the Green Islands, which is between two and three leagues broad, and from thirty-four to seventeen fathoms deep. We had but little wind all the day; and, at eight o’clock in the evening it was a dead calm; when we anchored in twenty-one fathoms’ water, over a muddy bottom; about two miles from the shore of Montagu’s Island. The calm continued till ten o’clock the next morning, when it was succeeded by a small breeze from the north, with which we weighed; and, by six o’clock in the evening, we were again in the open sea, and found the coast trending west by south, as far as the eye could reach.