Natural History of this
Part of the Coast.

A thick fog unfortunately coming on just before we left the ships,
prevented us from making choice of any part of the land which
might be the most likely to afford a passage to the northward and
westward. We could only, therefore, direct our course northerly,
with tolerable certainty, by a compass bearing previously taken on
board, and by occasionally obtaining an indistinct glimpse of the
land through the fog. Having rowed four miles, we came to a high
point, round which we turned rather to the westward, and then
landed a little beyond it.

The tents were struck at thirty minutes past three A.M. on the 7th
and our course directed, up the inlet, the weather being calm and
tolerably clear. At three miles and a quarter we passed on our
starboard hand a point of land, which, from the bright colour of
the rocks, composed chiefly of feldspar, obtained the name of _Red
Point_.

Opposite to Red Point was a small opening, which we next proposed
to examine. We had not, however, advanced a mile within the
entrance when the boats grounded, the water becoming more and more
shoal within. As it was plain that no passage could here be found
for the ships, which alone it was my present object to discover, I
did not choose to wait for the flowing of the tide to enable us
farther to explore this place, but determined to prosecute our
examination of the other parts of the coast without delay. There
were here a great number of stones placed in an upright position
in every conspicuous spot, many of them looking like men at a
distance. These marks are generally placed without regard to
regularity, but there were here several lines of them about fifty
yards in length, the stones being four or five yards apart, and
each having a smaller one placed on its top. Having rowed out of
the inlet, we landed at six P.M. in a little bay just outside of
the last night's sleeping-place, pitching the tents on a fine
shingly beach, which was the kind of ground we usually looked out
for towards the conclusion of the day, as affording the softest
bed, consistently with dryness, that nature supplies in this
country. Of such a convenience the men were not sorry to avail
themselves, having rowed above thirty miles since the morning.

The boats were launched at daylight on the 8th, and we soon came
to a much more promising opening on the same shore, about a mile
wide at the entrance, and leading directly to th