152 
A VOYAGE TO 
{North Coast. 
1802. 
December. 
Wednes. 1. 
Thurs. 2. 
Friday 3. 
evening ; when the breeze having shifted to S. W., we tacked and 
came to an anchor in 6 fathoms, mud and shells. The land was then 
distant three miles, and extended from N. 6i°E. to a point with a 
clump of high trees on it, which appeared to be the south-west ex- 
tremity of the northern land and bore N. 84, 0 W . Whether the 
space between it and the main near Allen’s Isle were the entrance of 
an inlet, or merely a separation of the two lands, could not be dis- 
tinguished ; but the tide set W.byS., into the opening, and there 
was a low island and many rocks in it. From an amplitude at this 
anchorage, the variation was g° 16' east, corrected to the meridian, 
nearly the same as at Allen’s Isle, five leagues to the south ; and a 
full degree less than in the Investigator’s Road. 
At five next morning we steered for the opening, with light, 
variable winds. On each side of the low island and rocks there 
seemed to be passages leading into a large spread of water, like the 
sea ; and our course was directed for the northernmost, until the 
water shoaled to 2^ fathoms and we tacked to the southward. The 
south-west point of the northern land then bore N. 74* ^ ' four miles, 
and the north end of Allen’s Isle was seen from the mast head, 
bearing S. g° W. five leagues ; but that part of the opening between 
them, not occupied by the main land, seemed to be so choaked with 
rocks that there was little prospect of a passage for the Investigator. 
This being the case, and the wind becoming unfavourable to the 
search, we steered back eastward, along the shore ; and at eight in 
the evening, anchored near the furthest part yet seen in that direc- 
tion, in 6j fathoms, sand and shells. 
At daylight, the piece of hilly land before judged to be an 
island, and which still appeared so, bore N. 86° to 28° W., two or 
three miles, with some nearer rocks lying in front ; the northern 
land extended from behind it to N. 32 0 E., and we followed its course 
pt the distance of five, and from that to two miles offshore. At noon 
we approached the eastern extremity, and saw a small island two 
leagues further out, one of three laid down in the old chart near 
