CHAPTER V.
An exte^ijive boat excurfion — Party attacked by the naiives—AJironomical and nautical obfervatioiu. Wi 1 ii'il July; Wednef. 24. JVlATTERS being all adjufled and arranged, we departed at five o'clock on wednefday morning, in thick, rainy, unfavorable weather, which continued until the forenoon, when it became fair and pleafant. Oin- courfe was firfl dire6led along the eaftern fliore, which, from our an- chorage on the night of the 22d, took a direftion n. 14 e. for fix miles. We palTed an ifland to the weft of us, two miles long and half a mile broad, lying nearly in the fame direftion, about three fourths of a mile from the eaftern ftiore ; and having reached this extent, we entered a nar- row arm, leaving to the weft a coaft apparently much broken, and di- vided by water. As we rapidly advanced up this arm, with a foutherly wind, and a flood tide in our favor, its width increafed to about a mile, and taking a winding courfe to the e.n.e., it was terminated by a low border of land, in latitude 55° 26', longitude 230° 36'. We ftopped to dine about a mile fhort of the low border of land, which compofed the head of the arm. Here we were vifited by feven of the na- tives, who apjiroached us in a canoe with much caution, and landed fome of their party at a litile diftance, whilft the others advanced, fecming- ly with no fmall fufpicion of our friendly intentions ; this, however, was icon removed by the diftribution of foine trivial prcfents amongft them; and their reception being made known to their companions who liad landed, thele without the Icall hefitation joined our party alfo. They were
