December, 10th.

This morng Capt Freeman and myself went on shore to take lunar observations, and also to take sights for the chronometers. Mr. Freeman measured the dist. of the O & ☽ and I took the altitudes of the Sun and moon by the artificial horizon. I then measured the distance & Mr. F. took the altitudes of O & ☽ The first gave the place of observation 166° 11′ 45 east. My observed dist. &c. gave 167° 23 00. My chronometer gave the page 564 same taking the mean of seven sights at different times the greatest of which gave 167° 24 and the least 167° 22 45. Another lunar gave 167° 23′ 00. My chronometer gave me the Island of Amsterdam correctly enough but Mr. Mc Cabe's^* was out considerably, on making Cape West on 3 inst. at 4 p.m. the long, by chronometer gave the ship 17 miles east of the Cape and we ran nearly due east 32 miles per log, which, if my chronometer was correct, would give Cape West in about 167° 13 (42. miles to a degree of long.). Port Chalky bears about true N.W. from Cape West dist. abt. 10 miles which 10 miles of dist gives in lat. 46° about 10 miles of diff. long. making Port Chalky 167° 23′ or if the Cape be rightly laid down then is my chronometer so much too far eastward. Capt. Washington of the Royal Navy requested me to give the height of a mountain on Cape West and also one on Point Civil;^† there is not a mountain on either. Cape West is low and runs with a gradual ascent into the mountains many miles back. I suppose 40 or 50 miles so that I cannot comply with Capt W's request. The Northern Port is by far the best of the two being completely land-locked but in the present state of the country I should think it would be seldom used as it is further up the bay and unless for the purpose of getting supplies (which is out of the question there being neither natives nor settlers) Port Chalky is high enough. I do not think either natives or settlers could live any great time in this part from the myriads of poisonous flies in the summer and the cold in the winter. We have seen some marks of visitors but whether natives or whites for the bay fishery (I should suppose the latter) I do not know. I do not think the land or any part of it in this neighbourhood deserves exactly the name of mountains but are high hills & so close together and so abrupt the rise that it makes them look higher than they would do if scattered over the face of the country and the ascent more gradual.