the low land above mentioned extended from N.E. to S., 75 deg.  E., the nearest part two leagues distant.  The land on the western shore was about seven leagues distant, and extended from S. 35 deg.  W., to N. 7 deg.  E.; so that the extent of the inlet was now reduced to three points and a half of the compass; that is, from N. 1/2 E. to N.E.  Between these two points no land was to be seen.  Here was a strong tide setting to the southward out of the inlet.  It was the ebb, and ran between three and four knots in an hour; and it was low water at ten o’clock.  A good deal of sea-weed, and some drift-wood, were carried out with the tide.  The water, too, had become thick like that in rivers; but we were encouraged to proceed, by finding it as salt at low water as the ocean.  The strength of the flood-tide was three knots, and the stream ran up till four in the afternoon.

As it continued calm all day, I did not move till eight o’clock in the evening; when, with a light breeze at E., we weighed, and stood to the N., up the inlet.  We had not been long under sail, before the wind veered to the N., increasing to a fresh gale, and blowing in squalls, with rain.  This did not, however, hinder us from plying up as long as the flood continued; which was till near five o’clock the next morning.  We had soundings from thirty-five to twenty-four fathoms.  In this last depth we anchored about two leagues from the eastern shore, in the latitude of 60 deg. 8’; some low land, that we judged to be an island, lying under the western shore, extended from N. 1/2 W. to N.W. by N., distant three or four leagues.

The weather had how become fair and tolerably clear, so that we could see any land that might lie within our horizon; and in a N.N.E. direction, no land, nor any thing to obstruct our progress, was visible.  But on each side was a ridge of mountains, rising one behind another, without the least separation.  I judged it to be low water, by the shore, about ten o’clock; but the ebb ran down till near noon.  The strength of it was four knots and a half; and it fell, upon a perpendicular, ten feet three inches, that is; while we lay at anchor; so that there is reason to believe that this was not the greatest fall.  On the eastern shore we now saw two columns of smoke; a sure sign that there were inhabitants.

At one in the afternoon we weighed, and plied up under double-reefed top-sails and courses, having a very strong gale at N.N.E. nearly right down the inlet.  We stretched over to the western shore, and fetched within two leagues of the south end of the low land, or island before mentioned, under which I intended to have taken shelter till the gale should cease.  But falling suddenly into twelve fathoms water, from upward of forty, and seeing the appearance of a shoal ahead, spitting out from the low land, I tacked, and stretched back to the eastward, and anchored under that shore in nineteen fathoms water, over a bottom of small pebble stones.