Thick fogs, and a contrary-wind, detained us till the 2d of July, which afforded an opportunity of acquiring some knowledge of the country and of its inhabitants.  The result of our observations will be mentioned in another place.  At present I shall only describe the harbour.

It is called, by the natives, Samganoodha, and is situated on the north side of Oonalashka, in the latitude of 58 deg. 55’, in the longitude of 193 deg. 30’; and in the strait, or passage, that separates this island from those that lie to the north of it, and whose position before the harbour shelters it from the winds that blow from that quarter.  It runs in S. by W., about four miles, and is about a mile broad at the entrance, narrowing toward the head, where its breadth is not above a quarter of a mile, and where ships can lie land-locked, in seven, six, and four fathoms water.  Great plenty of good water may be easily got, but not a single stick of wood of any size.

SECTION VIII.

Progress Northward, after leaving Oonalashka.—­The Islands Oonella and Acootan.—­Ooneemak.—­Shallowness of the Water along the Coast—­Bristol Bay.—­Round Island.—­Calm Point.—­Cape Newenham.—­Lieutenant Williamson lands, and his Report.—­Bristol Bay, and its Extent.—­The Ships obliged to return on account of Shoals.—­Natives come off to the Ships.—­Death of Mr Anderson; his Character; and Island named after him.—­Point Rodney.—­Sledge Island, and Remarks on Landing there.—­King’s Island.—­Cape Prince of Wales, the Western Extreme of America.  Course Westward.—­Anchor in a Bay on the Coast of Asia.

Having put to sea with a light breeze, at S.S.E., we steered to the N., meeting with nothing to obstruct us in this course.  For, as I observed before, the island of Oonalashka on the one side, trended S.W., and on the other, no land was to be seen in a direction more northerly than N.E., the whole of which laud was a continuation of the same group of islands which we had fallen in with on the 25th of June.  That which lies before Samganoodha, and forms the N.E. side of the passage through which we came, is called Oonella, and is about seven leagues in circumference.  Another island to the N.E. of it, is called Acootan, which is considerably larger than Oonella, and hath in it some very high mountains which were covered with snow.  It appeared, that we might have gone very safely between, these two islands and the continent, the S.W. point of which opened off the N.E. point of Acootan, in the direction of N. 60 deg.  E.; and which proved to be the same point of land we had seen when we quitted the coast of the continent, on the 25th of June, to go without the islands.  It is called by the people of these parts Ooneemak, and lies in the latitude of 54 deg. 30’, and in the longitude of 192 deg. 30’.  Over the cape, which of itself is high land, is a round elevated mountain, at this time entirely covered with snow.