Mav.
ThuifJ.iy
Friday i8.
ftqurnce of tnir unexpected ahfence. Ulie fwivels fired from our boat and ihat of the Chatham's the morning after our departure, were heard on board, and were the caufe of much alarm after the expiration of the time appointed for our return. Such attention had been paid to the feveral common occupations going forward when I l(Tt the (hips, that I had the fatisfaftion to find every thing accom- phlhcd. But from Mr.Whidbey I underftood, that the weather had been fo unfavorable to our adronomical purfuits, that lie had not been able to obtain any lunar dillances, though he had fucceeded in afcertaining the rate of the chronometers. Having, however, acquired fufficient authority of this nature for correfting our furvey, and carrying it further into ex- ecution, I determined to depart as foon as the weather (hould break up. This did not happen until thurfday afternoon ; when the tents and ob- fervatory w'tc re-embarked, and every thing got in readinefs for failing f the next morning. A light air from the s.e. and pleafant weather, fa- vored our departure ; and about breakfaft time, the (hip arriving at the entrance of the port, I landed on the eaft end of Protc6lion ifland, in order, from its eminence, to take a more accurate view of the furrounding fhores. In moft direftions they feemed much broken, particularly in the north- ern quarter, being there occupied by an archipelago of iilands of vari- ous fizes. On my return on board, I directed Mr. Broughton to ufe his endeavours, in the Chatham, to acquire fome information in that line, whilft I continued my examination with the Difcovery up the inlet which we had difcovered in the boats, to the eaftward of Foulweather bluff; appointing the firft inlet to the fouth-eadward of that point on the (lar- board or continental fhore, as our place of rendezvous. We parted about noon in pleafant Aveather, and with a fine breeze direfted our veffels agreeably to our refpeftive purfuits. As a more particular defcription of port Difcovery and the furround- ing country would have interfered with our primary objeft of afcertain- ing the boundary of this coaft, I fliall referve it for the fubj 1: of the following Ihort chapter; and fhall conclude this with fuch afli aomical and nautical obfervations as circumflances permitted us to make whilft in port, as well as thofe made previous to our arrival and after our depar- ture; -iWWi llHj I
