The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
At half an hour past four in the morning, on the 3d, Mount Edgecumbe
bore S. 54° E.; a large inlet, N. 50° E., distant six leagues; and the
most advanced point of the land, to the N. W., lying under a very high
peaked mountain, which obtained the name of _Mount Fair Weather_, bore
N. 32° W. The inlet was named _Cross Sound_, as being first seen on that
day, so marked in our calendar. It appeared to branch in several arms,
the largest of which turned to the northward. The south east point of
this sound is a high promontory, which obtained the name of _Cross
Cape_. It lies in the latitude of 57° 57ʹ, and its longitude is 223°
21ʹ. At noon it bore south-east; and the point, under the peaked
mountain, which was called _Cape Fair Weather_, north by west a quarter
west, distant thirteen leagues. Our latitude at this time was 58° 17ʹ,
and our longitude 222° 14ʹ; and we were distant from the shore three or
four leagues. In this situation we found the variation of the compass to
be from 24° 11ʹ to 26° 11ʹ E.
Here the north-east wind left us, and was succeeded by light breezes
from the north-west, which lasted for several days. I stood to the
south-west, and west-south-west, till eight o’clock the next morning,
when we tacked and stood toward the shore. At noon the latitude was 58°
22ʹ, and the longitude 220° 45ʹ. Mount Fair Weather, the peaked mountain
over the cape of the same name, bore N., 63° E.; the shore under it
twelve leagues distant. This mountain, which lies in the latitude of 58°
52ʹ, and in the longitude of 222°, and five leagues inland, is the
highest of a chain, or rather a ridge of mountains, that rise at the
north-west entrance of Cross Sound, and extend to the north-west in a
parallel direction with the coast. These mountains were wholly covered
with snow, from the highest summit down to the sea-coast, some few
places excepted, where we could perceive trees rising, as it were, out
of the sea; and which, therefore, we supposed grew on low land, or on
islands bordering upon the shore of the continent[56]. At five in the
afternoon, our latitude being then 58° 53ʹ, and our longitude 220° 52ʹ;
the summit of an elevated mountain appeared above the horizon, being N.
26° W.; and, as was afterward found, forty leagues distant. We supposed
it to be Beering’s Mount St. Elias; and it stands by that name in our
chart.
This day we saw several whales, seals, and porpoises; many gulls, and
several flocks of birds, which had a black ring about the head; the tip
of the tail, and upper part of the wings with a black band; and the rest
blueish above, and white below. We also saw a brownish duck, with a
black or deep blue head and neck, sitting upon the water.
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