covered to the S.W. of
it, to be a cluster of islands; placing St Hermogenes amongst those
which are destitute of wood. What we now saw seemed to confirm this,
and every circumstance inspired us with hopes of finding here a
passage northward, without being obliged to proceed any farther to the
S.W.

We were detained off the Cape, by variable light airs and calms, till
two o'clock the next morning, when a breeze springing up at N.E. we
steered N.N.W. along the coast; and soon found the land of Cape St
Hermogenes to be an island, about six leagues in circuit, separated
from the adjacent coast by a channel only one league broad. A league
and a half to the north of this island, lie some rocks above water; on
the N.E. side of which we had from thirty to twenty fathoms.

At noon, the island of St Hermogenes bore S. 1/2 E. eight leagues
distant; and the land to the N.W. of it extended from S. 1/2 W. to
near W. In this last direction it ended in a low point, now five
leagues distant, which was called _Point Banks_. The latitude of the
ship, at this time, was 58 deg. 41', and its longitude 207 deg. 44'. In this
situation, the land, which was supposed to connect Cape Elizabeth with
this S.W. land, was in sight, bearing N.W. 1/2 N. I steered directly
for it; and, on a nearer approach, found it to be a group of high
islands and rocks, entirely unconnected with any other land. They
obtained the name of _Barren Isles_, from their very naked appearance.
Their situation is in the latitude of 59 deg., and in a line with Cape
Elizabeth and Point Banks; three leagues distant from the former, and
five from the latter.

I intended going through one of the channels that divide these
islands; but meeting with a strong current setting against us, I
bore up, and went to the leeward of them all. Toward the evening, the
weather, which had been hazy all day, cleared up, and we got sight
of a very lofty promontory, whose elevated summit, forming two
exceedingly high mountains, was seen above the clouds. This promontory
I named _Cape Douglas_, in honour of my very good friend, Dr Douglas,
canon of Windsor.[3] It is situated in the latitude of 58 deg. 56', and
in the longitude of 206 deg. 10'; ten leagues to the westward of Barren
Isles, and twelve from Point Banks, in the direction of N.W. by W. 1/2
W.

[Footnote 3: The reader of course is aware, that this gentleman,
afterwards successively Bishop of Carlisle and Salisbury, is the
person to wh