We were detained off the Cape, by variable light airs and calms, till two o’clock the next morning, when a breeze springing up at N.E. we steered N.N.W. along the coast; and soon found the land of Cape St Hermogenes to be an island, about six leagues in circuit, separated from the adjacent coast by a channel only one league broad.  A league and a half to the north of this island, lie some rocks above water; on the N.E. side of which we had from thirty to twenty fathoms.

At noon, the island of St Hermogenes bore S. 1/2 E. eight leagues distant; and the land to the N.W. of it extended from S. 1/2 W. to near W. In this last direction it ended in a low point, now five leagues distant, which was called Point Banks.  The latitude of the ship, at this time, was 58 deg. 41’, and its longitude 207 deg. 44’.  In this situation, the land, which was supposed to connect Cape Elizabeth with this S.W. land, was in sight, bearing N.W. 1/2 N. I steered directly for it; and, on a nearer approach, found it to be a group of high islands and rocks, entirely unconnected with any other land.  They obtained the name of Barren Isles, from their very naked appearance.  Their situation is in the latitude of 59 deg., and in a line with Cape Elizabeth and Point Banks; three leagues distant from the former, and five from the latter.

I intended going through one of the channels that divide these islands; but meeting with a strong current setting against us, I bore up, and went to the leeward of them all.  Toward the evening, the weather, which had been hazy all day, cleared up, and we got sight of a very lofty promontory, whose elevated summit, forming two exceedingly high mountains, was seen above the clouds.  This promontory I named Cape Douglas, in honour of my very good friend, Dr Douglas, canon of Windsor.[3] It is situated in the latitude of 58 deg. 56’, and in the longitude of 206 deg. 10’; ten leagues to the westward of Barren Isles, and twelve from Point Banks, in the direction of N.W. by W. 1/2 W.

[Footnote 3:  The reader of course is aware, that this gentleman, afterwards successively Bishop of Carlisle and Salisbury, is the person to whom we are indebted for the original edition of this voyage, as we have elsewhere mentioned.—­E.]

Between this point and Cape Douglas, the coast seemed to form a large and deep bay; which, from some smoke that had been seen on Point Banks, obtained the name of Smokey Bay.

At day-break, the next morning, being the 26th, having got to the northward of the Barren Isles, we discovered more land, extending from Cape Douglas to the north.  It formed a chain of mountains of vast height; one of which, far more conspicuous than the rest, was named Mount St Augustin.  The discovery of this land did not discourage us, as it was supposed to be wholly unconnected with the land of Cape Elizabeth.  For, in a N.N.E. direction, the sight was unlimited by every thing but the horizon.  We also thought that there was a passage to the N.W., between, Cape Douglas and Mount St Augustin.  In short, it was imagined, that the land on our larboard, to the N. of Cape Douglas, was composed of a group of islands, disjoined by so many channels, any one of which we might make use of according as the wind should serve.