94 



A VOYAGETOTHE 



^ ^y^ ^' Other on her entering the river. Having fettled this point, 

 * — - — ' I returned on board my own fhip. 



June. 



wednef. 28. j^ ^■^^ afternoon the water altered its colour, and had 

 the appearance of foundings ; on which we founded with 

 a line of 1 20 fathoms, but got no bottom. 



Thurfdayzy. Next moming a number of feals were feen playing 

 round the fhip, but our diftance from the coaft of Ame- 

 rica was fo conliderable, that I cannot think thofe ani- 

 mals came from thence, or from any known iflands near 

 the coaft. On the contrary, there is great reafon to fup- 

 pofe that we were near fome land which has not as yet 

 been difcovered ; for during our laft voyage, in 1778, 

 when in 41" 50^ North latitude, and 142" 30' Weft lon- 

 gitude, we paffed a piece of wood which appeared to have 

 been but a fhort time in the water, and drifted from the 

 Weft ward ; and in the fame year, when in 40** 1 5' North 

 latitude, and 157° 55'' Weft longitude, we faw a fhagg, 

 which bird is never known to fly far from land ; and as 

 our prefent Situation was nearly in the midway between 

 thofe juft mentioned, I had great reafon to expeft we fhould 

 fall in with fome. 



The weather for feveral days was conftantly thick and 

 hazy, attended with drizzling rain ; fo that had we pafled 

 within five miles of any land, it would have been impof- 

 fible for us to have feen it ; and the advanced feafon of the 

 year not permitting me to wafte any time in fearching for 

 undifcovered iflands, I kept on my courfe to the North. 



Towards 



