THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



A5S 



^ 



as far as South 75° Eaft. The latitude of the (hip was 66" 5^.' ; «778- 

 the longitude 191° 19'; our depth of water twenty-eight s_. -f— 

 fathoms ; and our pofition nearly in the middle of the 

 channel between the two coafts, each being feven leagues 

 diftant. 



From this ftation we (leered Eaft, in order to get nearer 

 the American coaft. In this courfe the water flioaled gra- 

 dually, and there being little wind, and all our endeavours' 

 to increafe our depth failing,. I was obliged at laft to drop 

 anchor in fix fathoms ; the only remedy we liad left to pre- 

 vent the fliips driving into lefs. The neareft part of the Weft- 

 ern land bore Weft, twelve leagues diftant; the peaked hill 

 over Cape Prince of Wales, South 16' Weft; and the North- 

 ernmoft part of the American continent in fight, Eaft South 

 Eaft, the neareft part about four leagues diftant. After we 

 had anchored, I fent a boat to found, and the water v/as 

 found to flioal gradually toward the land. While we lay at 

 anchor, which was from fix to nine in the evening, we found 

 little or no current; nor- could we perceive that the water 

 either rofe or fell. 



A breeze of wind fpringing up at North, wc weighed, and 

 ftood to. the Weftward, which courfe foon brought us into 

 deep water; and, during the 12th, we plied to the North, Wednef, la.. 

 both coafts being in fight ; but we kept neareft to that of . 

 America. . 



At four in the afternoon of the 13th, a breeze fpringing Thurfdayaj. 

 up at South, I fteered North Eaft by North, till four o'clock 

 next morning, when, feeing no land, we direcftedour courfe 

 Eaft by North; and between nine and ten, land, fuppofcd F"dayi4». 

 to be a continuation of the continent, appeared. It extend- 

 ed from Eaft by South to Eaft by North ; and, foon after, we 



faw 



