166 cook's second voyage dec. 



board some hours before ; having found two harbours 

 on the west side of the other channel ; the one large, 

 and the other small ; but both of them safe and com- 

 modious ; though, by the sketch Mr. Pickersgill had 

 taken of them, the access to both appeared rather 

 intricate. 



I was now told of a melancholy accident which 

 had befallen one of our marines. He had not been 

 seen since eleven or twelve o'clock the preceding night. 

 It was supposed that he had fallen over-board out of 

 the head, where he had been last seen, and was 

 drowned. 



Having fine pleasant weather on the 23d, I sent 

 lieutenant Pickersgill in the cutter, to explore the 

 east side of the sound, and went myself in the 

 pinnace to the west side, with an intent to go round 

 the island, under which we were at anchor, (and 

 which I shall distinguish by the name of Shag island), 

 in order to view the passage leading to the harbours 

 Mr. Pickersgill had discovered the day before, on 

 which I made the following observations. In coming 

 from sea, leave all the rocks and islands, lying off 

 and within York Minster, on your larboard side ; 

 and the black rock, which lies off the south end of 

 Shag island, on your starboard ; and when abreast 

 of the south end of that island, haul over for the 

 west shore, taking care to avoid the beds of weeds 

 you will see before you, as they always grow on rocks; 

 some of which I have found twelve fathoms under 

 water ; but it is always best to keep clear of them. 

 The entrance to the large harbour, or Port Clerk e, 

 is just to the north of some low rocks lying off a 

 point on Shag Island. This harbour lies in W. by S. 

 a mile and an halfi and hath in it from twelve to 

 twenty-four fathoms depth, wood and fresh water. 

 About a mile without, or to the southward of Port 

 Clerke, is, or seemed to be, another which I did not 

 examine. It is formed by a large island, which covers 

 it from the south and east winds. Without this 



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