A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16Kerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
On my arrival in this inlet, I had honoured it with the name of King
George's Sound; but I afterward found, that it is called Nootka by the
natives. The entrance is situated in the east corner of Hope Bay, in
the latitude of 49 deg. 33' N., and in the longitude of 233 deg. 12' E.
The east coast of that bay, all the way from Breaker's Point to the
entrance of the Sound, is covered by a chain of sunken rocks, that
seemed to extend some distance from the shore; and, near the Sound,
are some islands and rocks above water.
We enter this Sound between two rocky points, that lie E.S.E., and
W.N.W. from each other, distant between three and four miles. Within
these points the Sound widens considerably, and extends in, to the
northward, four leagues at least, exclusive of the several branches
toward its bottom, the termination of which we had not an opportunity
to ascertain. But, from the circumstance of finding that the water
freshened where our boats crossed their entrance, it is probable that
they had almost reached its utmost limits. And this probability is
increased by the hills that bounded it toward the land, being covered
with thick snow, when those toward the sea, or where we lay, had not a
speck remaining on them, though, in general, they were much higher. In
the middle of the Sound are a number of islands of various sizes. The
depth of water in the middle of the Sound, and even close home to some
parts of its shore, is from forty-seven to ninety fathoms, and perhaps
more. The harbours, and anchoring-places within its circuit, are
numerous; but we had no time to survey them. The cove in which our
ships lay is on the east side of the Sound, and on the east side of
the largest of the islands. It is covered from the sea, but has little
else to recommend it, being exposed to the S.E. winds, which we found
to blow with great violence; and the devastation they make sometimes
was apparent in many places.
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