Mensics' Journal. 



Birch Bay. 57 



In the evening Mr. Whidbey returnd with the two 

 Boats from the South East ward having entirely finishd 

 his examination in that quarter & brought the continental 

 shore to our present situation & the / following day being 

 Sunday a day of recreation to all hands, some of the Officers 

 went to the South point of the Bay to determine the Lati- 

 tude of it which by the mean of several Meridian Altitudes 

 by different Sextants places it in 48° 52' 30" North. 



At day break on the i8th of June I accompanied Mr. 

 Johnstone who set out with two Boats in order to connect 

 their former Survey in the Chatham among the Islands on 

 the South West side of the Arm with our present situation. 

 We rowed across & landed upon the Eastermost of a group 

 of small Islands where we staid breakfast & where Mr. 

 Johnstone took up his first bearings, after which we pro- 

 ceeded to the South Westward landing here & there as 

 occasion required it to continue the Survey. 



Nothing could be more conspicuous than the contrast 

 that now appeard between the opposite sides of this great 

 Arm, Here the Shores were rocky rugged & cliffy rising 

 into hills of a moderate height composing a numerous group 

 of Islands thinly coverd with stinted Pines, while the side 

 we left in the Morning was fine sandly pebbly beaches backd 

 by an extensive tract of fine flat level country coverd with 

 a dense forest of Pinery & at some distance swelling out 

 gradually into a high ridge of snowy Mountains stretching 

 to the North West- Ward from Mount Baker & approaching 

 the course of the great Arm with high & steep declivities. 



On a Point where we landed to dine we found growing 

 some trees of Red Cedar ; the Plants we met with in other 

 respects did not differ much from the Plants I had collected 

 a few days before on the Southermost of these Islands ; a 

 new species of the Genus Epilohium & another of the Genus 

 Polygonum excepted. In the Cliffs of a small rocky Island 

 I also found a species of Saxifraga / I had not before met 

 with & towards evening we reachd the outermost extent of 

 our intended excursion being a small Island which Mr. 

 Johnstone had formerly settled & on which we encamped 

 for the night. The weather was exceeding mild pleasant 

 & favorable for our pursuits. 



Early next morning we quitted the Island on which we 

 had encamped to return to the Vessels by a dift'erent rout. 



June ITth. 



Matla Id., 

 probably. On 

 Spanish maps 

 this is ilata, 

 meaning 

 Shrub Id. 



" Red Cedar." 

 Our Coast 

 Juniper was 

 formerly known 

 tinder this 

 name, whicb 

 was originally 

 applied to 

 Juniperus 

 virginiana. 

 See Appendix. 



June 19th. 



