A VOYAGE TO 
^34 
1779. turned, we were again obliged to drop anchor in feven fa- 
. thorns; the Three Needle Rocks bearing South half Eaft; 
and the ojirqg North half Eaft, at the diftance of one mile 
from the near eft land. After dinner, I went, with Captain 
Gore, on fhore on the Eaft ftde of the paftage, where we 
law, in two different places, the remains of extenfive vil¬ 
lages ; and, on the lide of the hill, an old ruined parapet, 
with four or five embrafures. It commanded the paftage 
up the mouth of the bay; and, in Beering’s time, as he 
himfelf mentions, had guns mounted on it. Near this 
place were the ruins of fome caverns under ground, which 
we fuppofed to have been magazines. 
At fix in the afternoon we weighed with the ebb tide, and 
turned to windward; but, at eight, a thick fog arifing, we 
were obliged to bring to, as our foundings could not afford 
us a fufficient diredtion for fleering between feveral funk 
rocks, which lie on each fide of the paftage we had to make. 
Monday 14. In the morning of the 14th, the fog clearing away, we 
weighed as loon as the tide began to ebb ; and, having 
little wind, fent the boats ahead to tow; but, at ten o’clock, 
both the wind and tide fet in fo ftrong from the fea, that 
we were again obliged to drop anchor in thirteen fathoms, 
the high rock bearing Weft one quarter South, diftant three 
quarters of a mile. We remained faft for the reft of the 
day, the wind blowing frefh into the mouth of the bay; 
and, toward evening, the weather had a very unufual ap¬ 
pearance, being exceedingly dark and cloudy, with an un¬ 
fettled lhifting wind. 
Tuefday 15. Before day-light, on the 15th, we were lurprized with a 
rumbling noife, refembling diftant hollow thunder; and, 
when the day broke, we found the decks and fides of the 
fhips covered with a fine dull like emery, near an inch 
3 thick, 
