THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 287 



The Difcovery, as has been mentioned, had fuffered great a 1779 ; 

 damage from the ice, particularly on the 23d day of July; v- — < — -» 

 and having, ever fmce, been exceedingly leaky, it was 

 imagined that fome of her timbers had ftarted. Captain 

 Gore therefore fent the carpenters of the Refolution to aflift 

 our own in repairing her ; and accordingly, the forehold 

 being cleared, to lighten her forward, they were fet to work 

 to rip the damaged fheathing from the larboard bow. This 

 operation discovered, that three feet of the third ftrake, un- 

 der the wale, were flaved, and the timbers within ftarted. 

 A tent was next erected, for the accommodation of fuch of 

 our people as were employed on more; and a party were 

 fent a mile into the country, to the Northward of the har- 

 bour, to fell timber. The obfervatories were erected at the 

 Weft end of the village, near a tent, in which Captain Gore 

 and myfelf took up our abode. 



The farther we proceeded in removing the fheathing, the Thurfdayz6. 

 more we difcovered of the decayed ftate of the fhip's hull. 

 The next morning, eight feet of a plank in the wale were 

 found to be fo exceedingly rotten, as to make it neceflary to 

 ihift it. This left us for fome time at a ftand, as nothing 

 was to be found, in either fhip, wherewith to replace it, un- 

 lefs we chofe to cut up a top maft; an expedient not to be 

 had recourfe to, till all others failed. The carpenters were 

 therefore fent on fhore in the afternoon, in fearch of a tree 

 big enough for the purpofe. Luckily they found a birch, 

 which I believe was the only one of fufficient fize in the 

 whole neighbourhood of the bay, and which had been fawed 

 down by us when we were laft here ; fo that it had the ad- 

 vantage of having lain fome time to feafon. This was fhaped 

 on the fpot, and brought on board the next morning. 



As 



