xliv ADVERTISEMENT. 



the fhip, they conclude that the veffel, or the cur- 

 rent, is making three miles an hour, or one league. 



On falling up the fame inlet, at a place where it 

 was only four leagues broad ; " Through this 

 *' channel ran a prodigious tide. It looked fright- 

 ** ful to us, who could not tell whether the agita- 

 " tion of the water was occafioned by the ftream, 

 " or by the breaking of the waves againft rocks er 



*' fands Here we lay during the ebb, which 



*' ran near five knots in the hour (one league two 

 " thirds). Until we got thus far, the water had 

 ** retained the fame degree of faltnefs at low, as at 

 " high-water i and at both periods, was as fait as 

 ** that in the Ocean. But now the marks of a Ri- 

 " ver difplayed themfelves. The water taken up 

 " this ebb, when at the lowefl, was found to be 

 *' very confiderably frefher, than any we had hi- 

 *' therto tafted , infomuch that I was convinced 

 *' we were in a large river, and not in a ftrart, 

 *' communicating with the Northern Seas." (Cap- 

 tain Cook, 30th May, 1778.) 



What Ccok calls the inlet, to which the name of 

 Cook's great River has (ince been given, is, from 

 it's courfe, and it's brackifli waters, neither a ftrair, 

 nor a river, but a real northern fluice, through 

 which the effulions of the polar ices are difcharged 

 into the Ocean. We find othess of the fame kind 



at 



