roper birth for the ship,
both which I found, much to my satisfaction. As soon as the ship was
moored, I sent an officer on shore to superintend the watering, and the
carpenter, with his crew, to cut wood, while the long-boat was employed
in landing the empty casks.

In this employment we were busy till the 30th, when the wind seeming to
settle at S.E. and our water being nearly completed, we warped the ship
out of the cove, that we might have room to get under sail: And at noon
I went away in the pinnace to examine as much of the bay as my time
would admit.

After rowing about two leagues up it, I went ashore upon a point of land
on the western side, and having climbed a hill, I saw the western arm of
this bay run in S.W. by W. about five leagues farther, yet I could not
discover the end of it: There appeared to be several other inlets, or at
least small bays, between this and the north-west head of Queen
Charlotte's Sound, in each of which, I make no doubt, there is anchorage
and shelter, as they are all covered from the sea-wind by the islands
which lie without them. The land about this bay, as far as I could see
of it, is of a hilly surface, chiefly covered with trees, shrubs, and
fern, which render travelling difficult and fatiguing. In this excursion
I was accompanied by Mr Banks and Dr Solander, who found several new
plants. We met with some huts, which seemed to have been long deserted,
but saw no inhabitants. Mr Banks examined several of the stones that
lay upon the beach, which were full of veins, and had a mineral
appearance; but he did not discover any thing in them which he knew to
be ore: If he had had an opportunity to examine any of the bare rocks,
perhaps he might have been more fortunate. He was also of opinion that
what I had taken for marble in another place, was a mineral substance;
and that, considering the correspondence of latitude between this place
and South America, it was not improbable but that, by a proper
examination, something very valuable might be found.

At my return in the evening, I found all the wood and water on board,
and the ship ready for the sea; I resolved therefore to quit the
country, and return home by such a route as might be of most advantage
to the service; and upon this subject took the opinion of my officers. I
had myself a strong desire to return by Cape Horn, because that would
have enabled me finally to determine, whether there is or is not a
southern continent;