I cannot say whether the flood-tide falls into the sound from the N. W., S. W., or S. E. I think it does not come from the last quarter; but this is only conjecture, founded upon the following observations: The S. E. gales which we had in the sound, were so far from increasing the rise of the tide, that they rather diminished it; which would hardly have happened, if the flood and wind had been in the same direction.
A STORM AFTER SAILING FROM NOOTKA SOUND.—RESOLUTION SPRINGS A LEAK.— PRETENDED STRAIT OF ADMIRAL DE FONTE PASSED UNEXAMINED.—PROGRESS ALONG THE COAST OF AMERICA.—BEERING’S BAY.—KAYE’S ISLAND.—ACCOUNT OF IT.—THE SHIPS COME TO ANCHOR.—VISITED BY THE NATIVES.—THEIR BEHAVIOUR.— FONDNESS FOR BEADS AND IRON.—ATTEMPT TO PLUNDER THE DISCOVERY.— RESOLUTION’S LEAK STOPPED.—PROGRESS UP THE SOUND.—MESSRS. GORE AND ROBERTS SENT TO EXAMINE ITS EXTENT.—REASONS AGAINST A PASSAGE TO THE NORTH THROUGH IT.—THE SHIPS PROCEED DOWN IT TO THE OPEN SEA.
Having put to sea on the evening of the 26th, as before related, with strong signs of an approaching storm, these signs did not deceive us. We were hardly out of the sound before the wind, in an instant, shifted from N. E. to S. E. by E., and increased to a strong gale with squalls and rain, and so dark a sky that we could not see the length of the ship. Being apprehensive, from the experience I had since our arrival on this coast, of the wind veering more to the S., which would put us in danger of a lee-shore, we got the tacks on board, and stretched off to the S. W., under all the sail the ships could bear. Fortunately the wind veered no farther southerly than S. E., so that at day-light the next morning we were quite clear of the coast.
The Discovery being at some distance a-stern, I brought to, till she came up, and then bore away, steering N. W., in which direction I supposed the coast to lie. The wind was at S. E., blew very hard, and in squalls, with thick hazy weather. At half past one in the afternoon, it blew a perfect hurricane, so that I judged it highly dangerous to run any longer before it, and, therefore, brought the ships to with their heads to the southward, under the foresails and mizen stay-sails. At this time the Resolution sprung a leak, which, at first, alarmed us not a little. It was found to be under the starboard buttock; where, from the bread-room, we could both hear and see the water rush in, and, as we then thought, two feet under water. But in this we were happily mistaken; for it was afterward found to be even with the water-line, if not above it, when the ship was upright. It was no sooner discovered, than the fish-room was found to be full of water, and the casks in it afloat; but this was, in a great measure, owing to the water not finding its way to the pumps through the coals that lay in the bottom of the room; for after the water was baled out, which employed us till midnight, and had found its way directly from the leak to the pumps, it appeared that one pump kept it under which gave us no small satisfaction. In the evening, the wind veered to the S., and its fury in some degree ceased. On this we set the main sail and two topsails close-reefed, and stretched to the westward; but at eleven o’clock the gale again increased, and obliged us to take in the topsails, till five o’clock the next morning, when the storm began to abate; so that we could bear to set them again.