Several people were seen upon the peninsula, and one man came off in a small canoe.  I gave him a knife, and a few beads, with which he seemed well pleased.  Having made signs to him to bring us something to eat, he immediately left us, and paddled toward the shore.  But meeting another man coming off, who happened to have two dried salmon, he got them from him; and on returning to the ship, would give them to nobody but me.  Some of our people thought that he asked for me under the name of Capitane; but in this they were probably mistaken.  He knew who had given him the knife and beads, but I do not see how he could know that I was the captain.  Others of the natives soon after came off, and exchanged a few dry fish, for such trifles as they could get, or we had to give them.  They were most desirous of knives, and they had no dislike to tobacco.

After dinner, Lieutenant Gore was sent to the peninsula, to see if wood and water were there to be got, or rather water; for the whole beach round the bay seemed to be covered with drift-wood.  At the same time, a boat was sent from each ship, to sound round the bay; and, at three in the afternoon, the wind freshening at N.E., we weighed, in order to work farther in.  But it was soon found to be impossible, on account of the shoals, which extended quite round the bay, to the distance of two or three miles from the shore, as the officers, who had been sent to sound, reported.  We, therefore, kept standing off and on with the ships, waiting for Mr Gore, who returned about eight o’clock, with the launch laden with wood.

He reported, that there was but little fresh water; and that wood was difficult to be got at, by reason of the boats grounding at some distance from the beach.  This being the case, I stood back to the other shore; and, at eight o’clock the next morning, sent all the boats, and a party of men with an officer, to get wood from the place where I had landed two days before.  We continued for a while to stand on and off with the ships; but, at length, came to an anchor in one-fourth less than five fathoms, half a league from the coast, the south point of which bore S. 26 deg.  W.; and Bald Head, N. 60 deg.  E., nine leagues distant.  Cape Denbigh bore S. 72 deg.  E., twenty-six miles distant; and the island under the east shore, to the southward of Cape Denbigh, named Besborough Island, S. 52 deg.  E., fifteen leagues distant.

As this was a very open road, and consequently not a safe station, I resolved not to wait to complete water, as that would require some time; but only to supply the ships with wood, and then to go in search of a more convenient place for the other article.  We took off the drift-wood that lay upon the beach; and as the wind blew along shore, the boats could sail both ways, which enabled us to make great dispatch.