io8 AVOYAGETOTHE 



CHAP. 

 V. 



1786. 

 July. 



one. Night now coming on, we left the Ihore, and got on 

 board about ten o'clock. 



Tuefday25. By thc 25th wc had Completed our wood and water, 

 and the jQiips were ready for fea; fo that I waited with im- 

 patience for an opportunity of proceeding up the river, as 

 there was a probability of meeting with inhabitants, and 

 confeqiiently v/e flood a chance of procuring furs. At 

 prefent, however, the wind was light and variable, frequently 

 inclining to calm, and the weather thick and foggy. In 

 the afternoon I went along with captain Dixon to look 

 into a bay lituated to the Eaftward of the North point of 

 the harbour. We found it a pretty good one, carry- 

 ing foundings in fourteen, twelve, and eight fathom 

 water, over a bottom of fine black fand. We landed 

 on the V/efl fide of the bay, and in walking round 

 it difcovered two veins of kennel coal, fituated near fome 

 hills jufl above the beach, about the middle of the bay;, 

 and with very little trouble feveral pieces were got out of 

 the bank, nearly as large as a man's head. From this bay 

 we rowed acrofs for the entrance leading into the harbour 

 to the Southward of Paflage Ifle, and found plenty of wa- 

 ter; but the paiTage much narrower than the Northern one. 

 The befi: time to run into this harbour is as near low water 

 as poffible. Whatever danger there is may then be [ecu. 

 either from the beds of kelp, or the rocks lliewing them- 

 felves above water. In the evening we returned on board, 

 and I tried fome of the coal we had difcovered, and found 

 it to burn clear and well. 



Wednef. 26. At fix o'clock in the morning of the 26th, the wea- 

 ther, which for fome time had been very thick, cleared a' 

 ' little. 



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