The land before us, which we supposed to be the continent of America, appeared low next the sea; but, inland, it swelled into hills, which rise, one behind another, to a considerable height. It had a greenish hue, but seemed destitute of wood, and free from snow. While we lay at anchor, we found that the flood-tide came from the east, and set to the west, till between ten and eleven o’clock. From that time, till two the next morning, the stream set to the eastward, and the water fell three feet. The flood ran both stronger and longer than the ebb; from which I concluded, that, besides the tide, there was a westerly current.
At ten in the morning of the 5th, with the wind at south-west, we ran down and anchored, between the island and the continent, in seven fathoms water. Soon after, I landed upon the island, and, accompanied by Mr. King, and some others of the officers, I hoped to have had from it a view of the coast and sea to the westward; but the fog was so thick in that direction, that the prospect was not more extensive than from the ship. The coast of the continent seemed to take a turn to the northward, at a low point named Point Rodney, which bore from the island north-west half west, three or four leagues distant; but the high land, which took a more northerly direction, was seen a great way farther.
This island, which was named Sledge Island, and lies in the latitude of 64° 30ʹ, and in the longitude of 193° 57ʹ, is about four leagues in circuit. The surface of the ground is composed chiefly of large loose stones, that are, in many places, covered with moss and other vegetables, of which there were above twenty or thirty different sorts, and most of them in flower. But I saw neither shrub nor tree, either upon the island, or on the continent. On a small low spot, near the beach where we landed, was a good deal of wild purslain, pease, long-wort, &c.; some of which we took on board for the pot. We saw one fox; a few plovers, and some other small birds; and we met with some decayed huts that were partly built below ground. People had lately been on the island; and it is pretty clear, that they frequently visit it for some purpose or other. We found, a little way from the shore where we landed, a sledge, which occasioned this name being given to the island. It seemed to be such a one as the Russians in Kamtschatka make use of to convey goods from place to place, over the ice or snow. It was ten feet long, twenty inches broad; and had a kind of rail-work on each side, and was shod with bone. The construction of it was admirable, and all the parts neatly put together; some with wooden-pins, but mostly with thongs or lashings of whale-bone, which made me think it was entirely the workmanship of the natives.
At three o’clock the next morning, we weighed, and proceeded to the north-westward, with a light southerly breeze. We had an opportunity to observe the sun’s meridian altitude for the latitude; and to get altitude, both in the forenoon and afternoon, to obtain the longitude by the time-keeper. As we had but little wind, and variable withal, we advanced but slowly; and, at eight in the evening, finding the ships settle fast toward the land into shoal water, I anchored in seven fathoms, about two leagues from the coast. Sledge Island bore south, 51° east, ten leagues distant; and was seen over the south point of the main land.
Soon after we had anchored, the weather, which had been misty, clearing up, we saw high land extending from north, 40° east, to north, 30° west, apparently disjoined from the coast, under which we were at anchor, and seemed to trend away north-east. At the same time, an island was seen bearing north 81° west, eight or nine leagues distant. It appeared to have no great extent, and was named King’s Island. We rode here till eight o’clock next morning, when we weighed, and stood to the north-west. The weather clearing up toward the evening, we got sight of the north-west land, extending from north by west, to north-west by north, distant about three leagues. We spent the night making short boards, the weather being misty and rainy, with little wind; and between four and five in the morning of the 8th, we had again a sight of the north-west land; and, soon after, on account of a calm, and a current driving us toward the shore, we found it necessary to anchor in twelve fathoms water, about two miles from the coast. Over the western extreme is an elevated peaked hill, situated in latitude 65° 36ʹ, and in longitude 192° 18ʹ. A breeze at north-east springing up at eight o’clock, we weighed, and stood to the south-east, in hopes of finding a passage between the coast on which we had anchored on the 6th in the evening, and this north-west land; but we soon got into seven fathoms water, and discovered low land connecting the two coasts, and the high land behind it.
Being now satisfied that the whole was a continued coast, I tacked, and stood away for its north-west part, and came to an anchor under it in seventeen fathoms water. The weather, at this time, was very thick with rain; but, at four next morning, it cleared up, so that we could see the land about us. A high steep rock or island bore west by south; another island to the north of it, and much larger, bore west by north; the peaked hill above mentioned, south east by east; and the point under it, south, 32° east. Under this hill lies some low land, stretching out toward the north-west, the extreme point of which, bore north-east by east, about three miles distant. Over, and beyond it, some high land was seen, supposed to be a continuation of the continent.
This point of land, which I named Cape Prince of Wales, is the more remarkable, by being the western extremity of all America hitherto known. It is situated in the latitude of 65° 46ʹ, and in the longitude of 191° 45ʹ. The observations by which both were determined, though made in sight of it, were liable to some small error, on account of the haziness of the weather. We thought we saw some people upon the coast; and probably we were not mistaken, as some elevations, like stages, and others, like huts, were seen at the same place. We saw the same things on the continent within Sledge Island, and on some other parts of the coast.
It was calm till eight o’clock in the morning, when a faint breeze at north springing up, we weighed; but we had scarcely got our sails set, when it began to blow and rain very hard, with misty weather. The wind and current, being in contrary directions, raised such a sea, that it frequently broke into the ship. We had a few minutes’ sunshine at noon; and from the observation then obtained, we fixed the above-mentioned latitude.
Having plied to windward till two in the afternoon, with little effect, I bore up for the island we had seen to the westward, proposing to come to an anchor under it till the gale should cease. But on getting to this land, we found it composed of two small islands, each not above three or four leagues in circuit; and consequently they could afford us little shelter. Instead of anchoring, therefore, we continued to stretch to the westward; and at eight o’clock, land was seen in that direction, extending from north north-west, to west by south, the nearest part six leagues distant. I stood on till ten, and then made a board to the eastward, in order to spend the night.
At day-break in the morning of the 10th, we resumed our course to the west for the land we had seen the preceding evening. At eleven minutes after seven, when the longitude, by the time-keeper, was 189° 24ʹ, it extended from south, 72° west to north, 41° east. Between the south-west extreme, and a point which bore west, two leagues distant, the shore forms a large bay, in which we anchored at ten o’clock in the forenoon, about two miles from the north shore, in ten fathoms water, over a gravelly bottom. The south point of the bay bore south, 58° west; the north point north, 43° east; the bottom of the bay north, 60° west, two or three leagues distant; and the two islands we had passed the preceding day, north, 72° east, distant fourteen leagues.