THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 489 



the day, it was dark before wc pafTed the iiland : and the . '77»- 



•' ' *• ' September. 



night was fpent under an eafy fail. v. — ^— > 



We refumed our courfe, at day-break on the i8th, along Friday 18. 

 the coafl. At noon, we had no more than five fathoms wa- 

 ter. At this time the latitude was 63° 37'. Befborough Ifland 

 now bore North 42°Eaft; the Southernmofl land in fight, 

 which proved alfo to be an ifland, South 6^ Weft ; the paf- 

 fage between it and the main, South 40° Weft ; and the near- 

 eft land about two miles diftant. I continued to fteCr for this 

 paflTage, until the boats, which were ahead, made the fignal 

 for having no more than three fathoms water. On this we 

 hauled without the ifland; and made the fignal for the Re- 

 folution's boat to keep between the Ihips and the fhore. 



This ifland, which obtained the name of Stuart's Ifland^ 

 lies in the latitude of 63" 35', and feventeen leagues from 

 Cape Denbigh, in the direction of South ^•f Weft. It is fix 

 or fcvcn leagues in circuit. Some parts of it are of a 

 middling height; but, in general, it is low; with fomc 

 rocks lying off the Weftcrn part. The coafl of the continent 

 is, for the mofl part, low land ; but we faw high land up 

 the country. It forms a point, oppofite the ifland, which 

 was named Cape Stephens, and lies in latitude 63^33', and in 

 longitude 197' 41'. Some drift-wood was fcen upon the 

 fliorcs, both of the ifland and of the continent; but not a 

 tree was perceived growing upon eitlier. One might an- 

 chor, upon occafion, between the North Eaft fide of this 

 ifland and the continent, in a depth of five fathoms, fliel- 

 tered from Wcflcrly, Southerly, and Eallcriy winds. But 

 this flation would be wholly expofcd to the Northerly winds, 

 the land, in that direction, being at too great a diflance to 

 afford any fecurity. Before wc reached Stuart's Ifland, we 



Vol. II. 3 11 paffed 



