242 COOK*S VOYAGE TO MARCH 







deck. Between this island or rock, and the northern 

 extreme of the land, there appeared to be a small open- 

 ing, which flattered us with the hopes of finding an 

 harbour. These hopes lessened as we drew nearer ; 

 and, at last, we had some reason to think, that the open ! 

 ingwasclosed by low land. On this account Icalled the 

 point of land to the north of it Cape Flattery. It lies 

 in the latitude of 48 15' north, and in the longitude 

 of #3.5 3' east. There is a round hill of a moderate 

 height over it ; and all the land upon this part of the 

 coast is of a moderate and pretty equal height, well 

 covered with wood, and had a very pleasant and fer- 

 tile appearance. It is in this very latitude where we 

 now w 7 ere, that geographers have placed the pretended 

 strait of Juan de Fuca. We saw nothing like it ; nor 

 is there the least probability that ever any such thing 

 existed. * 



I stood off to the southward till night, when I 

 tacked, and steered to the north-west, with a gentle 

 breeze at south-west, intending to stand in for the 

 land as soon as day-light should appear. But, by 

 that time, we were reduced to two courses and close- 

 reefed topsails, having a very hard gale, with rain, 

 right on shore ; so that, instead of running in for the 

 land, I was glad to get an offing, or to keep that 

 which we had already got. The south west wind, 

 was, however, but of short continuance ; for in the 

 evening, it veered again to the west. Thus we had 

 perpetually strong w^est and north west winds to en- 

 counter. Sometimes in an evening, the wind would 

 become moderate, and veer to the southward ; but 

 this was always a sure prelude to a storm, which 

 blew the hardest at south south-east, and was attended 

 with rain and sleet. It seldom lasted above four or 

 six hours, before it was succeeded by another gale 

 from the north-west, which generally brought with 



* See Michael Locke's apocryphal account of Juan de Fuca, and 

 his pretended strait, in Purchas, vol. iii. p. 849 852., and many 

 later collections. 



