ulative fabricators of geography, as a fact, that it communicated
with the sea to the north, or with Baffin's or Hudson's Bay to the
east; and been marked, perhaps, on future maps of the world, with
greater precision, and more certain signs of reality, than the
invisible, because imaginary, Straits of de Fuca and de Fonte.

[Footnote 5: Captain Cook having here left a blank which he had not
filled up with any particular name, Lord Sandwich directed, with the
greatest propriety, that it should be called _Cook's River_.--D.

Some readers may require to be informed, that, for reasons mentioned
in the account of his voyage, Captain Vancouver has called it _Cook's
Inlet_.--E.]

In the afternoon, I sent Mr King again, with two armed boats, with
orders to land on the north-eastern point of the low land, on the
south-east side of the river; there to display the flag; to take
possession of the country and river in his majesty's name; and to bury
in the ground a bottle, containing some pieces of English coin of the
year 1772, and a paper, on which was inscribed the names of our ships,
and the date of our discovery. In the mean time, the ships were got
under sail, in order to proceed down the river. The wind still blew
fresh, easterly; but a calm ensued, not long after we were under way;
and the flood-tide meeting us off the point where Mr King landed, (and
which thence got the name of _Point Possession_,) we were obliged to
drop anchor in six fathoms water, with the point bearing S., two miles
distant.

When Mr King returned, he informed me, that as he approached the
shore, about twenty of the natives made their appearance, with their
arms extended; probably to express thus their peaceable disposition,
and to shew that they were without weapons. On Mr King's, and the
gentlemen with him, landing, with musquets in their hands, they seemed
alarmed, and made signs, expressive of their request to lay them down.
This was accordingly done; and then they suffered the gentlemen to
walk up to them, and appeared to be cheerful and sociable. They had
with them a few pieces of fresh salmon, and several dogs. Mr Law,
surgeon of the Discovery, who was one of the party, having bought
one of the latter, took it down toward the boat, and shot it dead, in
their sight. This seemed to surprise them exceedingly; and as if they
did not think themselves safe in such company, they walked away; but
it was soon after discovered, that their spears, and