NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 205 



At eight o'clock having a fine breeze at Weft South Weft, ^ ^^^^ ^'• 

 we fteered North for the entrance ; the Eaft fide of which ' ' 



1787. 



bore North by Eaft, and the Weft fide North, diftant from April. 

 each point five or fix leagues. At nine o'clock the Weft "^^ '^"^ ^^' 

 point of Montague Iftand bore North Eaft one fourth 

 North, five leagues diftant, and the middle of the paifage 

 North half Eaft. I now judged that we were in about 

 thirty-five fathoms water, and on founding we had thirty- 

 four fathoms over a bottom of fand and ftiells. 1 have 

 found from experience, that in going off" in the fame di- 

 rection the water deepens gradually, and in about fifty fa- 

 thoms there is a muddy fandy bottom; but on crofting, 

 that direction either to the Eaftward or Weftward, the 

 water deepens very quick into eighty, and upwards of 

 one hundred fathoms. The wind failing; us a little, the 

 whale-boat was fent a-head to tow. At noon, the ex- 

 tremes of Montague Iftand in fight bore Eaft by South five 

 miles, and North by Eaft four leagues, our diftance from 

 the neareft ftiore about three miles. On founding, we had 

 fixteen fathoms water over a rocky bottom. Our ob- 

 iervation gave 59° 50' latitude, and, according to the bear- 

 ings and diftance of the South Weft Point of Montague 

 Iftand, I made its latitude to the 59° 47 , which I am 

 certain is right within- a mile or two. In Captain Cook's 

 chart that point is fituated in the latitude of 59° 36', 

 which is eleven miles too much to the Southward; but as 

 he had no opportunity of getting an obfervation near it, 

 and trufted to his ftiip's run, he might eafily make a mif- 

 take of eleven miles. Mr. Edgar in his chart has placed 

 it very near the truth. According to good obfervations 

 taken of the fun and moon on board both fhips a ftiort 

 time before we made the land, and brought forward by 



the 



