As soon as the ebb tide made in our favour, we weighed, and, with a light breeze, between west south-west, and south south-west, plied down the river, till the flood obliged us to anchor again. At length, about one o’clock next morning, a fresh breeze sprung up at west, with which we got under sail, and, at eight, passed the Barren Isles, and stretched away for Cape St. Hermogenes. At noon this cape bore south south-east, eight leagues distant; and the passage between the island of that name, and the main land, bore south. For this passage I steered, intending to go through it; but soon after the wind failed us, and we had baffling light airs from the eastward, so that I gave up my design of carrying the ships between the island and the main. At this time, we saw several columns of smoke on the coast of the continent, to the northward of the passage; and, most probably, they were meant as signals to attract us thither. Here the land forms a bay, or perhaps a harbour; off the north-west point of which lies a low rocky island. There are also some other islands of the same appearance, scattered along the coast, between this place and Point Banks. At eight in the evening, the island of St. Hermogenes extended from south half east to south south-east, a quarter east; and the rocks that lie on the north side of it bore south-east, three miles distant. In this situation, we had forty fathoms water over a bottom of sand and shells. Soon after, on putting over hooks and lines, we caught several halibut. At midnight, being past the rocks, we bore up to the southward; and, at noon, St. Hermogenes bore north, four leagues distant. At this time, the southernmost point of the main land, within or to the westward of St. Hermogenes, lay north half west, distant five leagues. This promontory, which is situated in the latitude of 58° 15ʹ, and in the longitude of 207° 24ʹ was named, after the day, _Cape Whitsunday_. A large bay, which lies to the west of it, obtained the name of _Whitsuntide Bay_. The land on the east side of this bay, of which Cape Whitsunday is the southern point, and Point Banks the northern one, is in all respects like the island of St. Hermogenes; seemingly destitute of wood, and partly free from snow. It was supposed to be covered with a mossy substance, that gave it a brownish cast. There were some reasons to think it was an island. If this be so, the last mentioned bay is only the straight or passage that separates it from the main land.