1778. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 355 



horizon had prevented us from seeing at a greater 

 distance. This land was every where covered with 

 snow, from the tops of the hills down to the very 

 sea-beach, and had every other appearance of being- 

 part of a great continent. I was now fully per- 

 suaded that I should find no passage by this inlet ; 

 and my persevering in the search of it here was 

 more to satisfy other people than to confirm my own 

 opinion. 



At this time, Mount St. Augustinbore N. 40 W., 

 three or four leagues distant. This mountain is of a 

 conical figure, and of very considerable height, but 

 it remains undetermined whether it be an island, or 

 part of the continent. Finding that nothing could 

 be done to the W., we tacked and stood over to Cape 

 Elizabeth, under which we fetched at half past five in 

 the afternoon. On the north side of Cape Elizabeth, 

 between it and a lofty promontory, named Cape 

 Bede *, is a bay, in the bottom of which there ap- 

 peared to be two snug harbours. We stood well 

 into this bay, where we might have anchored in 

 twenty-three fathoms water : but as I had no such 

 view, we tacked and stood to the westward, with the 

 wind at N., a very strong gale, attended by rain, 

 and thick hazy w 7 eather. 



The next morning the gale abated, but the same 

 weather continued till three o'clock in the afternoon, 

 when it cleared up. Cape Douglas bore S. W. by 

 W. ; Mount St. Augustin W. i S., and Cape Bede 

 S. 15 E., five leagues distant. In this situation, the 

 depth of water was forty fathoms, over a rocky bot- 

 tom. From Cape Bede, the coast trended N. E. by 

 E., with a chain of mountains inland, extending in 

 the same direction. The land on the coast was 

 woody, and there seemed to be no deficiency of har- 

 bours. But what was not much in our favour, we 

 discovered low land in the middle of the inlet, ex- 



* In naming this and Mount St. Augustin, Captain Cook was 

 directed by our Calendar. 



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