1778. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 319 



and an island off the south point of it, that was co- 

 vered with wood. It is here where I suppose Com- 

 modore Beering to have anchored. The latitude, 

 which is 59 18', corresponds pretty well with the 

 map of his voyage # , and the longitude is 221 E. 

 Behind the bay (which I shall distinguish by the 

 name of Beering 9 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 unli- 

 mited ; 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 27', and 

 the longitude of 219 7' In this situation, Mount 

 Fair Weather bore S., 70' 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 30', and the Ion- 

 gitude 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 GO 27', and 

 in the longitude of 219. It belongs to a ridge of 

 exceedingly high mountains, that may be reckoned 



* Probably Captain Cook means Muller's map, prefixed to his 

 History of the Russian Discoveries. 



