3 86 
A VOYAGE TO 
1778. land, extending from Cape Douglas to the North. It form* 
t ed a chain of mountains of vaft height; one of which, 
far more confpicuous than the reft, was named Mount 
St. AuguJUn. The difcovery of this land did not difcou- 
rage us ; as it was fuppofed to be wholly unconnected with 
the land of Cape Elizabeth. For, in a North North Eaft: 
direction, the fight was unlimited by every thing but the 
horizon. We alfo thought, that there was a paflage to the 
North Weft, between Cape Douglas and Mount St. Auguf- 
tin. In fhort, it was imagined, that the land on our lar¬ 
board, to the North of Cape Douglas, was compofed of a 
group of iflands, disjoined by fo many channels, any one 
of which we might make ufe of according as the wind 
fhould ferve. 
With thefe flattering ideas, having a frefti gale at 
North North Eaft, we ftood to the North Weft, till eight 
o’clock, when we clearly faw that what we had taken for 
iflands were fummits of mountains, every where connected 
by lower land, which the hazinefs of the horizon had 
prevented us from feeing at a greater diftance. This 
land was every where covered with fnow, from the tops 
of the hills down to the very fea-beach ; and had every 
other appearance of being part of a great continent. I 
was now fully perfuaded that I fhould find no paflage by 
this inlet; and my perfevering in the fearch of it here, was 
more to fatisfy other people, than to confirm my o\vn 
opinion. 
At this time, Mount St. Auguftin bore North, 40° Weft, 
three or four leagues diftant. This mountain is of a coni¬ 
cal figure, and of very confiderable height; but it remains 
undetermined whether it be an ifland or part of the contb 
nent. Finding that nothing could be done to the Weft, we 
tacked. 
