396 cook's voyage to july, 



we had tolerable success in fishing, catching cod, and 

 now and then a few flat fish. At five in the morning 

 of the 16th, the fog having cleared up, we found our- 

 selves nearer the land than we expected. Calm Point 

 bore north, 72 east, and a point eight leagues from 

 it, in the direction of west, bore north, 3 east, three 

 miles distant. Between these two points, the coast 

 forms a bay, in some parts of which the land was 

 hardly visible from the mast-head. There is also a 

 bay on the north-west side of this last point, between 

 it and an elevated promontory, which, at this time* 

 bore north, 36 west, sixteen miles distant. At nine, 

 I sent Lieutenant Williamson to this promontory, 

 with orders to land, and see what direction the coast 

 took beyond it, and what the country produced, for 

 from the ships it had but a barren appearance. We 

 found here the flood-tide setting strongly to the north- 

 west along the coast. At noon it was high-water, 

 and we anchored in twenty-four fathoms, four leagues 

 distant from the shore. At five in the afternoon, the 

 tide making in our favour, we weighed, and drove 

 with it ; for their was no wind. 



Soon after, Mr. Williamson returned, and reported 

 that he had landed on the point, and having climbed 

 the highest hill, found that the farthest part of the 

 coast in sight bore nearly north. He took possession 

 of the country in his Majesty's name, and left on the 

 hill a bottle, in which were inscribed, on a piece of 

 paper, the names of the ships, and the date of the dis- 

 covery. The promontory, to which he gave the name 

 of Cape Newenham, is a rocky point, of tolerable 

 height, situated in the latitude of 58 42', and in the 

 longitude of 197 36'. Over, or within it, are two 

 elevated hills, rising one behind the other. The inner- 

 most, or easternmost, is the highest. The country, as 

 far as Mr. Williamson could see, produces neither 

 tree nor shrub ; the hills are naked ; but on the lower 

 grounds grew grass and other plants, very few of 

 which were in flower. He saw no other animal but 



