177^- ROUND THE WORLD. 7 



it was thirteen fathom we were but three miles dis- 

 tant from the shore, and therefore stood off; its di- 

 rection is here nearly N. and S. The surface, to the 

 distance of about five miles from the sea, is low and 

 flat ; but it then rises into hills of a considerable 

 height. It appeared to be totally barren, and we saw 

 no signs of its being inhabited. Our latitude, at noon, 

 was 44 41/ ; and the longitude which we made from 

 Banks's Island to this place was 2 c Z c l' W. During 

 the last twenty-four hours, though we carried as 

 much sail as the ship would bear, we were driven 

 three leagues to the leeward. 



We continued to stand off and on ail this day and 

 the next, keeping at the distance of between four 

 and twelve leagues from the shore, and having water 

 from thirty-five to fifty- three fathom. On the 22d, 

 at noon, we had no observation, but by the land 

 judged ourselves to be about three leagues farther 

 north than we had been the day before. At sunset, 

 the weather, which had been hazy, clearing up, we 

 saw a mountain which rose in a high peak, bearing 

 N. W. bv N. ; and at the same time we saw the 

 land more distinctly than before, extending from N. 

 to S. W. by S. which, at some distance within the 

 coast, had a lofty and mountainous appearance. We 

 soon found that the accounts which had been given 

 us by the Indians in Queen Charlotte's Sound of the 

 land to the southward were not true ; for they had 

 told us that it might be circumnavigated in four 

 days. 



On the 23d, having a hollow swell from the S. E. 

 and expecting wind from the same quarter, we kept 

 plying between seven and fifteen leagues from the 

 shore, having from seventy to forty -four fathom. At 

 noon, our latitude by observation was 44* 40' S. and 

 our longitude from-Banks's Island 1 31' W. From 

 this time to six in the evening it was calm ; but a 

 light breeze then springing up at E. N. E. we steered 

 S. S. E. all night, edging off from the land, the hol- 



b 4 



