CHAP. 

 VI. 



1786. 



NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 129 



paffage, and anchor there; fo that if the wind failed us, 

 we might be able to work in to the Sound with the tide ; 

 but at feven o'clock it began to blow very frefh, with AVgu^'it 

 thick hazy weather, and every appearance of an approach- °" **^ ' 

 ing gale, the land entirely hid with a thick fog. Under 

 thefe circumitances I did not think it prudent to run in 

 for the paffage ; therefore at half paft feven o'clock we 

 tacked and flood to the South Eafl. I now gave up 

 all thoughts of getting into the Sound this feafon ; there- 

 fore determined to quit this part of the coaft immediately, 

 and ftand to the Southward, where there was a probability 

 of meeting with more favourable weather. 



With a frefh gale from the Eafl North Eafl, we fleered 

 South Eaft by South, the weather flill thick and foggy, 

 attended with rain. During the night we frequently 

 founded with eighty fathoms of line, but got no bottom. 

 The wind never fixed at one point for any length of 

 time, but varied continually ; fometimes blowing frefh 

 and in fqualls, with alternate calms and thick rainy- 

 weather. 



On the 4th of September, finding myfelf very indif- September, 

 ferent, I fent for captain Dixon to come on board, in- "" ^^ ^* 

 tending, fliould my illnefs increafe fo as to prevent me 

 from keeping the deck, for the Queen Charlotte to take 

 the lead, and make for Crafs Sound, from thence to Cape 

 Edgecombe, and afterwards to King George's Sound, where 

 we had before determined to winter, and build a fhalop 

 of about fixty or feventy tons burthen, if we were for- 

 tunate^ enough to get in before the winter feafon fi;t in fo 



S bad 



