At noon, on the 10th, our latitude was 59° 51ʹ, and our longitude 215° 56ʹ, being no more than three leagues from the coast of the continent, which extended from east half north, to north-west half west, as far as the eye could reach. To the westward of this last direction was an island that extended from N., 52° W., to S., 85° W., distant six leagues. A point shoots out from the main toward the north-east end of the island, bearing at this time N., 30° W., five or six leagues distant. This point I named Cape Suckling. The point of the cape is low; but within it is a tolerably high hill, which is disjoined from the mountains by low land; so that, at a distance, the cape looks like an island. On the north side of Cape Suckling is a bay that appeared to be of some extent, and to be covered from most winds. To this bay I had some thoughts of going to stop our leak, as all our endeavours to do it at sea had proved ineffectual. With this view I steered for the cape; but as we had only variable light breezes, we approached it slowly. However, before night, we were near enough to see some low land spitting out from the cape to the north-west, so as to cover the east part of the bay from the south wind. We also saw some small islands in the bay, and elevated rocks between the cape and the north-east end of the island. But still there appeared to be a passage on both sides of these rocks; and I continued steering for them all night, having from forty-three to twenty-seven fathoms’ water over a muddy bottom.
At four o’clock next morning, the wind, which had been mostly at north-east, shifted to north. This being against us, I gave up the design of going within the island, or into the bay, as neither could be done without loss of time. I therefore bore up for the west end of the island. The wind blew faint; and at ten o’clock it fell calm. Being not far from the island, I went in a boat, and landed upon it, with a view of seeing what lay on the other side; but finding it farther to the hills than I expected, and the way being steep and woody, I was obliged to drop the design. At the foot of a tree, on a little eminence not far from the shore, I left a bottle, with a paper in it, on which were inscribed the names of the ships, and the date of our discovery. And along with it I inclosed two silver twopenny pieces of his Majesty’s coin, of the date 1772. These, with many others, were furnished me by the Reverend Dr. Kaye[[58]]; and, as a mark of my esteem and regard for that gentleman, I named the island, after him, Kaye’s Island. It is eleven or twelve leagues in length, in the direction of north-east and south-west; but its breadth is not above a league, or a league and a half, in any part of it. The south-west point, which lies in the latitude of 59° 49ʹ, and the longitude of 216° 58ʹ, is very remarkable, being a naked rock, elevated considerably above the land within it. There is also an elevated rock lying off it, which, from some points of view, appears like a ruined castle. Toward the sea the island terminates in a kind of bare sloping cliffs, with a beach, only a few paces across to their foot, of large pebble stones, intermixed in some places with a brownish clayey sand, which the sea seems to deposit after rolling in, having been washed down from the higher parts, by the rivulets or torrents. The cliffs are composed of a bluish stone or rock, in a soft or mouldering state, except in a few places. There are parts of the shore interrupted by small valleys and gullies. In each of these a rivulet or torrent rushes down with considerable impetuosity; though it may be supposed that they are only furnished from the snow, and last no longer than till it is all melted. These valleys are filled with pine-trees, which grow down close to the entrance, but only to about half way up the higher or middle part of the island. The woody part also begins every where immediately above the cliffs, and is continued to the same height with the former; so that the island is covered, as it were, with a broad girdle of wood, spread upon its side, included between the top of the cliffy shore, and the higher parts in the centre. The trees however are far from being of an uncommon growth; few appearing to be larger than one might grasp round with his arms, and about forty or fifty feet high; so that the only purpose they could answer for shipping would be to make top-gallant-masts, and other small things. How far we may judge of the size of the trees which grow on the neighbouring continent, it may be difficult to determine. But it was observed that none larger than those we saw growing, lay upon the beach amongst the drift wood. The pine-trees seemed all of one sort; and there was neither the Canadian pine nor cypress to be seen. But there were a few which appeared to be the alder, that were but small, and had not yet shot forth their leaves. Upon the edges of the cliffs, and on some sloping ground, the surface was covered with a kind of turf, about half a foot thick; which seemed composed of the common moss; and the top, or upper part, of the island had almost the same appearance as to colour; but whatever covered it seemed to be thicker. I found amongst the trees some currant and hawberry bushes; a small yellow-flowered violet; and the leaves of some other plants not yet in flower, particularly one which Mr. Anderson supposed to be the heracleum of Linnæus, the sweet herb, which Steller, who attended Beering, imagined the Americans here dress for food, in the same manner as the natives of Kamtschatka.[[59]]
We saw, flying about the wood, a crow; two or three of the white-headed eagles mentioned at Nootka; and another sort full as large, which appeared also of the same colour, or blacker, and had only a white breast. In the passage from the ship to the shore, we saw a great many fowls sitting upon the water, or flying about in flocks or pairs; the chief of which were a few quebrantahuesses, divers, ducks, or large peterels, gulls, shags, and burres. The divers were of two sorts; one very large, of a black colour, with a white breast and belly; the other smaller, and with a longer and more pointed bill, which seemed to be the common guillemot. The ducks were also of two sorts; one brownish, with a black or deep blue head and neck, and is perhaps the stone-duck described by Steller. The others fly in larger flocks, but are smaller than these, and are of a dirty black colour. The gulls were of the common sort, and those which fly in flocks. The shags were large and black, with a white spot behind the wings as they flew; but probably only the larger water-cormorant. There was also a single bird seen flying about, to appearance of the gull kind, of a snowy white colour, with black along part of the upper side of its wings. I owe all these remarks to Mr. Anderson. At the place where we landed, a fox came from the verge of the wood, and eyed us with very little emotion, walking leisurely, without any signs of fear. He was of a reddish yellow colour, like some of the skins we bought at Nootka, but not of a large size. We also saw two or three little seals off shore; but no other animals or birds, nor the least signs of inhabitants having ever been upon the island.
I returned on board at half past two in the afternoon; and, with a light breeze easterly, steered for the south-west of the island, which we got round by eight o’clock, and then stood for the westernmost land now in sight, which, at this time, bore north-west half north. On the north-west side of the north-east end of Kaye’s Island, lies another island, stretching south-east and north-west about three leagues, to within the same distance of the north-west boundary of the bay above mentioned, which is distinguished by the name of Comptroller’s Bay.
Next morning, at four o’clock, Kaye’s Island was still in sight, bearing east a quarter south. At this time, we were about four or five leagues from the main; and the most western part in sight bore north-west half north. We had now a fresh gale at east-south-east; and as we advanced to the north-west, we raised land more and more westerly; and, at last, to the southward of west; so that at noon, when the latitude was 61° 11ʹ, and the longitude 213° 28ʹ, the most advanced land bore from us south-west by west half west. At the same time, the east point of a large inlet bore west-north-west, three leagues distant.
From Comptroller’s Bay to this point, which I name Cape Hinchingbroke, the direction of the coast is nearly east and west. Beyond this, it seemed to incline to the southward; a direction so contrary to the modern charts founded upon the late Russian discoveries, that we had reason to expect that, by the inlet before us, we should find a passage to the north; and that the land to the west and south-west was nothing but a group of islands. Add to this, that the wind was now at south-east, and we were threatened with a fog and a storm; and I wanted to get into some place to stop the leak, before we encountered another gale. These reasons induced me to steer for the inlet, which we had no sooner reached, than the weather became so foggy, that we could not see a mile before us, and it became necessary to secure the ships in some place, to wait for a clearer sky. With this view, I hauled close under Cape Hinchingbroke, and anchored before a small cove, a little within the cape, in eight fathoms’ water, a clayey bottom, and about a quarter of a mile from the shore.
The boats were then hoisted out, some to sound, and others to fish. The seine was drawn in the cove; but without success, for it was torn. At some short intervals, the fog cleared away, and gave us a sight of the lands around us. The cape bore south by west half west, one league distant; the west point of the inlet south-west by west, distant five leagues; and the land on that side extended as far as west by north. Between this point and north-west by west, we could see no land; and what was in the last direction seemed to be at a great distance. The westernmost point we had in sight on the north shore, bore north north-west half west, two leagues distant. Between this point and the shore under which we were at anchor is a bay about three leagues deep; on the south-east side of which there are two or three coves, such as that before which we had anchored; and in the middle some rocky islands.
To these islands Mr. Gore was sent in a boat, in hopes of shooting some eatable birds. But he had hardly got to them, before about twenty natives made their appearance in two large canoes; on which he thought proper to return to the ships, and they followed him. They would not venture along-side, but kept at some distance, holloing aloud, and alternately clasping and extending their arms; and, in a short time, began a kind of song exactly after the manner of those at Nootka. Their heads were also powdered with feathers. One man held out a white garment, which we interpreted as a sign of friendship; and another stood up in the canoe, quite naked, for almost a quarter of an hour, with his arms stretched out like a cross, and motionless. The canoes were not constructed of wood, as at King George’s or Nootka Sound. The frame only, being slender laths, was of that substance; the outside consisting of the skins of seals, or of such-like animals. Though we returned all their signs of friendship, and, by every expressive gesture, tried to encourage them to come along-side, we could not prevail. Some of our people repeated several of the common words of the Nootka language, such as seekemaile, and mahook; but they did not seem to understand them. After receiving some presents, which were thrown to them, they retired toward that part of the shore from whence they came; giving us to understand by signs, that they would visit us again the next morning. Two of them, however, each in a small canoe, waited upon us in the night; probably with a design to pilfer something, thinking we should be all asleep; for they retired as soon as they found themselves discovered.
During the night, the wind was at south south-east, blowing hard and in squalls, with rain, and very thick weather. At ten o’clock next morning, the wind became more moderate, and the weather being somewhat clearer, we got under sail, in order to look out for some snug place, where we might search for and stop the leak; our present station being too much exposed for this purpose. At first, I proposed to have gone up the bay, before which we had anchored; but the clearness of the weather tempted me to steer to the northward, farther up the great inlet, as being all in our way. As soon as we had passed the north-west point of the bay above mentioned, we found the coast on that side to turn short to the eastward. I did not follow it, but continued our course to the north, for a point of land which we saw in that direction.
The natives who visited us the preceding evening, came off again in the morning, in five or six canoes; but not till we were under sail; and although they followed us for some time, they could not get up with us. Before two in the afternoon, the bad weather returned again, with so thick a haze, that we could see no other land besides the point just mentioned, which we reached at half past four, and found it to be a small island, lying about two miles from the adjacent coast, being a point of land, on the east side of which we discovered a fine bay, or rather harbour. To this we plied up, under reefed topsails and courses. The wind blew strong at south-east, and in excessively hard squalls, with rain. At intervals, we could see land in every direction; but, in general, the weather was so foggy, that we could see none but the shores of the bay into which we were plying. In passing the island, the depth of water was twenty-six fathoms, with a muddy bottom. Soon after the depth increased to sixty and seventy fathoms, a rocky bottom; but in the entrance of the bay, the depth was from thirty to six fathoms; the last very near the shore. At length, at eight o’clock, the violence of the squalls obliged us to anchor in thirteen fathoms, before we had got so far into the bay as I intended; but we thought ourselves fortunate that we had already sufficiently secured ourselves at this hour; for the night was exceedingly stormy.