two white rocks, which enabled me to
take up the survey of the preceding evening; and we then bore away along
the coast at the distance of four or five miles, with a pleasant breeze
and fine weather.

Some parts of the shore between Point D'Entrecasteaux and Cape Chatham
were not distinctly seen. That which is nearest to the cape lies in the
line of N. 38 deg. W. from its outer part, and presents an intermixture of
steep cliffs and small sandy beaches, with a back land moderately high,
and better covered with wood than that before described. On the east side
of Cape Chatham the shore falls back to the northward, and makes a bight
in which is a small reef of rocks. It then projects in a cliffy head,
which lies S. 75 deg. E. seven miles from the cape, and is called Point Nuyts
in the French chart; upon the supposition, probably, that this was the
first land seen by Nuyts in 1627. Beyond this point the coast trends very
nearly east; but forms several projections, some of which are steep and
others low; and between them are sandy bights where small vessels might
obtain shelter from all northern winds. The hills lying at the back of
the shore seemed to be barren, though trees grew thickly on their eastern
sides; they are not high, but it was rare to perceive any thing of the
interior country above them.

At noon the nearest parts of the coast were a steep and a more eastern
low point, both distant about four miles; and from the bight between them
was rising the first smoke seen upon this coast. Our situation at this
time, and the principal bearings taken, were as under;

Latitude, observed to the north and south, 85 deg. 7' 5".
Longitude by time keepers, 116 50.
Point Nuyts, with Cape Chatham behind, N. 75 W.
Steep point, near the smoke, N. 15 W.
Furthest visible extreme ahead, N. 84 E.

Soon after two o'clock we passed at the distance of five miles from a
steep point which has a broad rock lying near it. This point, being
unnamed and somewhat remarkable, I call _Point Hillier_; it lies in 35 deg.
4' south and 117 deg. 9' east. The coast extends from thence nearly
east-by-south, without any considerable projection except at the furthest
extreme then visible; and on coming up with it, at half-past five, it
proved to be the Cape Howe of Vancouver. There is another Cape Howe upon
this same coast, named by Captain Cook