Thick fogs and a contrary wind detained us till the 2d of July, which afforded an opportunity of acquiring some knowledge of the country and of its inhabitants. The result of our observations will be mentioned in another place. At present, I shall only describe the harbour.
It is called by the natives Samganoodha, and is situated on the north side of Oonalashka, in the latitude of 53° 55ʹ, in the longitude of 193° 30ʹ; and in the strait or passage that separates this island from those that lie to the north of it, and whose position before the harbour shelters it from the winds that blow from that quarter. It runs in S. by W., about four miles, and is about a mile broad at the entrance, narrowing toward the head, where its breadth is not above a quarter of a mile, and where ships can lie land-locked, in seven, six, and four fathoms water. Great plenty of good water may be easily got, but not a single stick of wood of any size.
CHAP. VIII.
PROGRESS NORTHWARD, AFTER LEAVING OONALASHKA.—THE ISLANDS OONELLA AND ACOOTAN.—OONEEMAK.—SHALLOWNESS OF THE WATER ALONG THE COAST.—BRISTOL BAY.—ROUND ISLAND.—CALM POINT.—CAPE NEWENHAM.—LIEUTENANT WILLIAMSON LANDS, AND HIS REPORT.—BRISTOL BAY, AND ITS EXTENT.—THE SHIPS OBLIGED TO RETURN, ON ACCOUNT OF SHOALS.—NATIVES COME OFF TO THE SHIPS.—DEATH OF MR. ANDERSON; HIS CHARACTER; AND ISLAND NAMED AFTER HIM.—POINT RODNEY.—SLEDGE ISLAND, AND REMARKS ON LANDING THERE.—KING’S ISLAND.—CAPE PRINCE OF WALES, THE WESTERN EXTREME OF AMERICA.—COURSE WESTWARD.—ANCHOR IN A BAY ON THE COAST OF ASIA.
Having put to sea with a light breeze, at south south-east, we steered to the north, meeting with nothing to obstruct us in this course; for, as I observed before, the Island of Oonalashka, on the one side, tended south-west, and on the other, no land was to be seen in a direction more northerly than north-east; the whole of which land was a continuation of the same group of islands which we had fallen in with on the 25th of June. That which lies before Samganoodha, and forms the north-east side of the passage through which we came, is called Oonella, and is about seven leagues in circumference. Another island, to the north-east of it, is called Acootan, which is considerably larger than Oonella, and hath in it some very high mountains, which were covered with snow. It appeared, that we might have gone very safely between these two islands and the continent, the south-west point of which opened off the north-east point of Acootan, in the direction of north, 60° east; and which proved to be the same point of land we had seen when we quitted the coast of the continent, on the 25th of June, to go without the islands. It is called by the people of these parts Oonemak, and lies in the latitude of 54° 30ʹ, and in the longitude of 192° 30ʹ. Over the cape, which, of itself, is high land, is a round elevated mountain, at this time entirely covered with snow.
At six in the evening, this mountain bore east 2° north, and at eight we had no land in sight. Concluding, therefore, that the coast of the continent had now taken a north-easterly direction, I ventured to steer the same course, till one o’clock next morning, when the watch on deck thought they saw land ahead. Upon this we wore, and stood to the south-west for two hours, and then resumed our course to the east-north-east.
At six o’clock land was seen ahead, bearing south-east, about five leagues distant. As we advanced, we raised more and more land, all connected, and seemingly in the direction of our course. At noon, it extended from south-south-west to east; the nearest part five or six leagues distant. Our latitude at this time was 55° 21ʹ, and our longitude 195° 18ʹ. This coast is on the north-west side of the volcano mountain; so that we must have seen it, if the weather had been tolerably clear.
At six in the evening, after having run eight leagues upon an east by north course from noon, we sounded, and found forty-eight fathoms over a bottom of black sand. Being at this time four leagues from the land, the eastern part in sight bore east-south-east, and appeared as a high round hummock, seemingly detached from the main.
Having continued to steer east-north-east all night, at eight in the morning of the 4th the coast was seen from south-south-west, and east by south, and at times we could see high land, covered with snow, behind it. Soon after, it fell calm, and being in thirty fathoms water, we put over hooks and lines, and caught a good number of fine cod-fish. At noon, having now a breeze from the east, and the weather being clear, we found ourselves six leagues from the land, which extended from south by west to east by south. The hummock, seen the preceding evening, bore south-west by south, ten leagues distant. Our latitude was now 55° 50ʹ, and our longitude 197° 3ʹ. A great hollow swell from west-south-west assured us that there was no main land near, in that direction. I stood to the north till six in the afternoon, when the wind having veered to the south-east enabled us to steer east-north-east. The coast lay in this direction, and at noon the next day was about four leagues distant.
On the 6th and 7th, the wind being northerly, we made but little progress. At eight in the evening of the latter, we were in nineteen fathoms water, and about three or four leagues from the coast, which on the 8th extended from south-south-west to east by north, and was all low land, with a ridge of mountains behind it, covered with snow. It is probable, that this low coast extends some distance to the south-west; and that such places as we sometimes took for inlets or bays are only vallies between the mountains.