An Account ef later Ai tempts^ 
Book IL 
been Tree's or Shrubs, they would have been efteemed 
Proofs of its being a River; and therefore, among the 
Arguments of its not being fo, there was no Impro- 
priety in mentioning the 'Want of Trees and Shrubs on 
all the Lands near it* 
As to the black Whales^ Seals, and Sea-Horfes, feen 
at twenty Leagues above the Entrance, the Captain 
gives a very large Return. He fays it does not appear^, 
from any Journals, Reports, or Anfwers, that one Whale 
was feen higher than Deer Sounds which is but fifteen 
Leagues up ; whereas the Weftward' is above thirty 
Leagues ; or that one Sea-Horfe or Seal was feen in any 
Part of the River; but that feveral were feen juft without 
the Mouth of the River, in the Welcome^ is attefted by 
the Log-Book, and by the Affidavits of T owns^ Van So- 
Iric, and Grant ; and Captain Middleton has traded, for 
Whalebone in all Parts of the Bay and Streights where 
the EJkimaux frequent, which could not be if the Whales, 
from whence they get it, were not killed there ; becaufe 
in ten or twelve Days after they are dead, the Bone ail 
drops from their Mouths ; all which amounts, together, 
to almoft a Demonftration, that the Whales, both in the 
Bay, and Wager River ^ come from the North-eaft ; 
which is alfo fomewhat confirmed from the great 
Number of Indian Store Houfes, of Oil, Fin, and Blub- 
ber,, not above eight Leagues upon the North-eaft Coaft 
of the River ; whereas their proper Habitations are on 
the Main, on the other Side the River. Moreover if 
thefe Whales come out of any Sea from the Weftward, 
they would have been feen in plenty the higher they 
had gone up, which was not fo. Llowever, Conclufions 
drawn from Whales being feen in any Place, arc, at the 
beft, but very precarious. 
In Reply to this, it is neceflary to take Notice of a 
Eadt which feems diredtly oppofite to the Account given 
in Captain Middleton^ Anfwer. Mr. Rankin^ in his Re- 
port, has the following Paffage : “We went above fif- 
“ teen Leagues above Deer Sound, and faw a Frefh or 
Run of Water coming againft ns; and the Wind being 
“ fair, I was afraid of ftaying any longer, for fear of 
“ hindering the Ships from going to Sea. Ehere is a 
great Probability of an Opening on the Wefi Side, by the 
“ coming in of the Whales ; but I could not go higher up 
“ to try it, for, the above-mentioned Reafons.” In the 
amended Report this Paffage is entirely left out ; for as 
to what is faid therein, I mean in the amended Report, 
ligned by Rankin and Wilfon, of their feeing large black 
Whales in their Return from the Ships, not far from 
Deer Sound ; this is alfo contained in the original Report, 
wherein Mr. Rankin fays. In coming down we faw fede- 
ral very large black Whales playing about the Boat, and 
ajhore *, fo that nothing can be plainer, than that the 
Meaning of Rankin, was to diftinguifh between thofe 
Whales, the Sight of which induced him to believe there 
was an Opening to the Weft, and the black Whales that he 
faw in returning to the Ships. And why the former Whales 
were left out in the amended Report, is a Matter that 
deferves Confideration but it is very plain, that as it flood 
in the original Report, it is irreconcileable to the Cap- 
tain’s Anfwer ; and therefore he was in the right to guard 
againft it, by faying. However, Conclufions drawn from 
Whales being feen in any Place, are at the heft but very pre- 
carious. It may be fo ; but it is very evident that Mr. 
Rankin concluded from thence, that there was an Open- 
ing to the Weft ; and thofe who incline to believe him, 
will conclude fo ftill, though, as the Captain fays, that 
Conclufion be but precarious. And yet their other Con- 
clufion of their coming in from their Frozen Streight 
muft be allowed to be altogether as precarious. 
As to the laft Reafon affigned by Mr, Dobbs, viz. from 
broken Lands North- weft wards, and a vaft Collection of 
Waters, full of Illands on the South-weft-fide, this An- 
fwer is given by Captain Middleton,, viz. It is moft 
likely that thefe watery Places, feen at a Diftance, are the 
fame Sort of Lakes of melted Snow from the Mountains, 
as were every where feen from the Eminences they af- 
cended in that Country, to over-fpread rhe'’Vallies ; but 
be that as it will, there was no coming nigh them for the 
Rapidity of the Water-falls, that hindered the Boat from 
going higher up then fhe did, and the immenfe Quanti- 
ties of Ice along the South- weft Shore. 
This Anfwer is plainly conjeClural, and Captain Mid- 
dleton only offers a Suppofition to refute what others had 
affirmed to be a FaCl ; for Mr. Dobbs tells us, that when 
the Lieutenant and another Perfon were examined before 
the Lords of the Admiralty, they pofitively affirmed that 
they had feen a fair open Channel, with Lands on each 
Side, as high as the Cape of Good Hope. It likev/ife ap- 
pears, that the Lieutenant was preffed to go up this Chan- 
nel ; and the Reafon he gave for not complying with this 
Requeft, was, that he had already exceeded his Orders in 
extent of Time, and of the Difeovery, which he had pro- 
fecuted farther than he was direCled to do ; and there- 
fore declined what vvas propofed from an Apprehenfion 
of being puniffied upon his Return, if he had complied 
with it. 
lo. But we are now to come to thofe Argliments, 
which have been produced; by Captain Middleton in the 
Affirmative, arid in Proof of his Affertion that this is no 
Streight, but a Freffi-water River. In the firft Place, he 
fays, that he conceives it can have no Communication with 
the Sea Weftward, becaufe the Tide of Flood comes in 
at its Mouth Eaftward. To this Mr. Dobbs replies, 
that it was to be confidered as a Streight, like the Ma- 
gellan, and therefore he was not to look for the contrary 
Tide, till they were in the Middle of. the Streight. In 
Confirmation of this, Mr. Dobbs farther obferves, the 
Tide at the North-eaft Entrance of Magellan Streight 
flows from the Eaftward, and rifes four Fathom before it 
comes to the firft Narrow, which is but half a League 
wide, and from thirty to thirty-five Fathom deep ; after 
a League or two it increafes to fix or feven Leagues 
wide to the fecond Narrow, where it is about a League 
wide, and thirty Fathom deep ; within the fecond Nar- 
row it increafes again to five or fix Leagues wide, and 
the Tide ftill flows from the Eaftward, and rifes about 
ten Feet. In the Middle Channel, about thirty Leagues 
within the Streight, it is two hundred Fathom, and the; 
Channel but three Leagues wide ; and from thence to 
the Middle of the Streight, it is leffened to two Leagues 
wide, and about one hundred Fathom deep, and the 
Tide ftill flows from the Eaftwards for above fifty 
Leagues. As they come near the Middle of the Streight, 
the Current of the Tide is not above half an Hour at each 
Tide, and the Tide rifes nine Feet near Cape ^ad ; be- 
yond the Middle of the Streight it is but two Leagues 
wide, and for about thirteen Leagues farther it is rather 
lefs ; fometimes not four Miles wide ; from whence it 
gradually widens to the Weft Entrance, where it is five 
Leagues wide, fo that Wager Streight is much larger; for 
fo far as they were in it, which was about thirty Leagues, 
it being by the Account as mentioned in the Journal fix 
or feven Leagues wide, and eighty Fathom deep ; which 
if there be no other, is a noble Paffage; but there is a 
great Probability of there being a better and fafer Paffage 
to the Southward of Whalebone Point, by which the 
Whales get into that Part of the Bay. 
The fecond Reafon offered by Captain Middleton is, be- 
caufe of the gradual Declenfion in the rifing of the Tides, 
which flowed eighteen Feet at the Entrance, but thirteen 
at Deer Sound ; and the higheft the Boat could go for 
Water-falls, was no more than five or fix Feet. But who- 
ever confiders what is before replied to the Argument, 
drawn from the Tides coming in from the Eaftward, 
will very eafily fee, that allowing all the Captain fays 
to be true, this is very far from being conclufive ; fince 
it appears to agree well enough with what happens in 
the Streight of Magellan ; and, befides all this, Mr. 
Dobbs fays, that in the Captain’s Journal,, the Tide at 
Savage Sound is faid to have rofe but twelve Feet fix In- 
ches, inftead of fifteen, and at the fame Time it tofe ten 
Feet in Deer Sound. He likev/ife fays, that when they 
were behind the Weft Bluff, they did not ftay a Tide, 
and could only conje(5lure how much it flowed ; nor did 
they obferve in their Report, whether the Eaftern or 
Weftern Current was Ebb or Flood ; though upon Re- 
colleffion, the Lieutenant was pofitive it was the Tide of 
Flood from the Weftward, which brought the Boat to 
a Gran- 
