THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
At ten in the morning of the 5th, with the wind at South 
Weft, we ran down, and anchored between the illand and 
the continent, in feven fathoms water. Soon after, I landed 
upon the illand, accompanied by Mr. King and fome others 
of the officers. I hoped to have had from it a view of the 
coaft and fea to the Weft ward; but the fog was fo thick in 
that diredtion, that the profpedt was not more extenlive than 
from the fhip. The coaft of the continent feemed to take a 
turn to the Northward, at a low point named Point Rodney , 
which bore from the illand North Weft half Weft, three or 
four leagues diftant; but the high land, which took a more 
Northerly direction, was feen a great way farther. 
This illand, which was named Sledge Ifland , and lies in the 
latitude of 64° 30', and in the longitude of 193 0 57', is about 
four leagues in circuit. The furface of the ground is com- 
pofed chiefly of large loofe ftones, that are, in many places, 
covered with mofs and other vegetables, of which there 
were above twenty or thirty different forts, and moft of 
them in flower. But I faw neither ffirub nor tree, either 
upon the ifland, or on the continent. On a fmall low fpot, 
near the beach where we landed, was a good deal of wild 
purflain, peafe, long-wort, &c .; fome of which we took on 
board for the pot. We faw one fox; a few plovers, and fome 
other fmall birds; and we met with fome decayed huts that 
were partly built below ground. People had lately been on 
the iftand; and it is pretty clear, that they frequently vifit 
it for fome purpofe or other, as there was a beaten path from 
the one end to the other. We found, a little way from the 
fhore where we landed, a Hedge, which occafioned this name 
being given to the ifland. It feemed to be fuch a one as 
the Ruffians in Kamtfchatka make ufe of to convey goods 
from place to place, over the ice or fnow. It was ten feet 
V° L . II. 3 L long, 
441 
1778. 
Auguft. 
- V -_/ 
Wednef. 5. 
