1792.
May.
by ; but none of them ventured off, though feveral of their canoes were feen on the beach. Here the inlet divided into two cxtenfivc branches, one taking a fouth-eaflwardly, the other a fouth-weflern direttion. Near this place was our appointed rendezvous with the Chatham ; and, un- der a fmall illandto the s.w. of us, appeared an eligible fpot, in which, with fecurity, we might wait her arrival; but, on opproaching it, we found the depth of water no v/here lefs than 60 fatho;Tis, within a ca- ble's length of the fliore. This obliged us to turn up towards the til- lage point, where we found a commodious roadflead; and about feven o'clock in the evening, anchored about a mile from the Ihore in 38 fa- thoms water, black fand and muddy bottom. The village point bore by compafs n. 4 e., the neareft onpofite fliore of the main inlet N.52 E. about a league diflant; and the direftion of its fouthern extent s.e. ; the above ifland, lying before the branch leading to the fouth-weftward, bore from s. 36 E. to fouth, about half a league diftant ; and the appearance of a fmall inlet, or cove, weft, about the fame diftance. We had no fooner anchored than a canoe, in which were two men, paddled round the fliip. We attempted to induce them, but they were not to be prevailed upon, to enter the veffel ; and, having fatisfied their curiofity, they haftily returned to the fliore. Before the evening clofed in, I proceeded to acquire fome information refpcfting the fmall opening to the weftward. It was nearly dark before I reached the fliore, which feemed to form a fmall cove about half a mile in width, incircled by compaft fliores, with a cluftcr of rocks above water, nearly in its center, and little worthy of further notice. On my return on board, I direfted that a party, under the command of Lieutenant Puget and Mr. Whidbcy, fliould, in the launch and cutter, proceed, with a fupply of provifions for a week, to the examination of that branch of the inlet leading to the fouth-weft- ward ; keeping always the (larboard or continental fliore on board : which was accordingly carried into execution, at four o'clock the next morning. Our fituation being fomewhat incommoded by the meeting of different tides, we moved nearer in, and anchored in the fame depth, and on the fame bottom as before, very conveniently to the fliore. Our ealtern view
