Menzies Journal. 



Off Coast of Calif ornui. 



1792. 

 April 19th. 



Balwnoptera 

 sp. (Finback 

 Whale). 



Blunt's Reef of 

 modern charts. 

 Awash at high 

 tide. 



April 20th. 



April 21st. 



Stood along the Coast in our progress to the Northward. 

 Early in the morning several Whales were seen about the 

 ship seemingly of that kind called Finners. Our Latitude 

 this day was 40° 3 North when the Northern extreme of 

 the land / which we found to be Cape Mendocino bore north 

 ten degrees West about nine leagues off, & the bluff point 

 bore N 2 W four leagues off. 



We coasted on to the Northward till a little after five 

 when we were abreast of two small rocky Islets a little off 

 the Point of Cape Mendocino & the appearance of shoal & 

 broken water a head made us haul our wind off shore for 

 the night, & a little after we had Soundings in 40 fathoms 

 minute dark brown sand, but on trying again about an hour 

 after we had none with 70 fathoms nor in the night time 

 with a hundred & twenty, so that the line of Soundings does 

 not seem to extend above 4 or 5 leagues off this part of the 

 Coast. The wind which was from the South East freshend 

 during the night into a strong stormy gale with heavy sea 

 & thick rainy uncomfortable weather. 



The land we saild along this afternoon was high & 

 broken into huge elevated mountains of verdant pasturages, 

 checquerd with woods & winding valleys & presenting to 

 the eye a pleasing prospect & to the mind the rural idea 

 of a hilly country seemingly capable of the highest state of 

 improvement & cultivation. 



The gale from the South East continued on the follow- 

 ing day with unremitted fury attended with heavy sea thick 

 hazy weather & almost constant rain, which induced us to 

 preserve a good distance, from the land & what was very 

 singular this tempestuous weather did not in the least 

 depress the Alercury in the Barometer which continued a 

 little above 30 inches all day. 



On the 2i®t the wind became more moderate but / the 

 weather continud thick & hazy with constant rain, & though 

 we were at noon by our estimation at no great distance from 

 the shore abreast of us yet we could not see any part of 

 it. — The afternoon was mostly calm with thick fog, we 

 sounded with a hundred & seventy fathoms but had no 

 ground. Saw some Whales, the spoutings of these after- 

 wards in the hazy horizon loomd so as to be taken for 

 strange vessels under sail, & it was even some time before 

 the deception was clearly detected. 



