FIRST VOYAGE 67 



in such imminent danger, that they expected, every minute, 

 she would be dashed to pieces ; but letting go an anchor, 

 and veering one hundred and sixty fathoms of cable, she 

 was brought up, when they were not above two cables' 

 length from the rocks ; in this situation they were obliged 

 to wait for the ebb of the tide, which was not till after 

 midnight. At three o'clock in the morning they weighed 

 anchor, and a fine breeze springing up soon after, they were 

 carried through the strait with great velocity. At the 

 entrance of the strait, on the north side, there is a small 

 island, which was named Entry Island. 



On the 8th, they were off Cape Palliser, when they dis- 

 covered that the land trended to the north-east towards 

 Gape Turnagain. Three canoes came off in the afternoon, 

 with several people in them ; they made a good appearance, 

 and came on board with great alacrity. One old man was 

 tattooed in a very remarkable manner ; he was likewise 

 marked with a streak of red paint across the nose, and over 

 both cheeks ; his hair was quite white, as well as his beard. 

 His garment was made of flax with a wrought border, under 

 which was a kind of petticoat, made of cloth ; his ears were 

 decorated with teeth and pieces of green stone. 



On the 14th of February, about sixty Indians, in four 

 double canoes, camp, within a stone's cast of the ship, which 

 they beheld with surprise. Tupia endeavoured to persuade 

 them to approach nearer, but they refused, and made toward 

 the shore. They had various winds and seas till the 4th 

 of March, when they saw several whales and seals. On the 

 9th, they saw a ledge of rocks, and soon afterwards another 

 ledge, three leagues from the shore, which they passed 

 to the north during the night, and discovered the others 

 under their bow at daybreak. Thus they had a narrow 

 escape from destruction. 



In the morning they sailed northward, and on the day 

 following, discovered a barren rock, about a mile in circum- 

 ference, very high, and five leagues from the mainland. 

 This was called Solander's Island. On the 13th, they 

 discovered a bay, which contains several islands, behind 

 which, if there be depth of water, there must be shelter 

 from all winds. Captain Cook called this Dusky Bay. 



They had now almost passed the whole of the north-west 

 coast of Tovy Poenammoo ; the face of the country afforded 

 nothing worth notice, but a ridge of rocks of a stupendous 

 height, which Dr. Hawkesworth describes as " totally barren 

 and naked, except where they are covered with snow, which 

 is to be seen in large patches in many parts of them, and 

 has probably lain there ever since the creation of the world ; 

 a prospect more rude, craggy and desolate, than this country 



