In the night, the wind blew fresh at S., but was more moderate toward the morning, and the fog partly dispersed.  Having weighed at seven o’clock, we steered to the northward, between the island under which we had anchored, and another small one near it.  The channel is not above a mile broad; and before we were through it, the wind failed, and we were obliged to anchor in thirty-four fathoms water.  We had now land in every direction.  That to the S., extended to the S.W., in a ridge of mountains, but our sight could not determine whether it composed one or more islands.  We afterward found it to be only one island, and known by the name of Oonalashka.  Between it, and the land to the N., which had the appearance of being a group of islands, there seemed to be a channel, in the direction of N.W. by N. On a point, which bore W. from the ship, three quarters of a mile distant, were several natives and their habitations.  To this place we saw them tow in two whales, which we supposed they had just killed.  A few of them, now and then, came off to the ships, and bartered a few trifling things with our people, but never remained above a quarter of an hour at a time.  On the contrary, they rather seemed shy, and yet we could judge that they were no strangers to vessels, in some degree, like ours.  They behaved with a degree of politeness uncommon to savage tribes.

At one o’clock in the afternoon, having a light breeze at N.E., and the tide of flood in our favour, we weighed, and steered for the channel above-mentioned, in hopes, after we were through, of finding the land trend away to the northward, or, at least, a passage out to sea to the W. For we supposed ourselves, as it really happened, to be amongst islands, and not in an inlet of the continent.  We had not been long under sail, before the wind veered to the N., which obliged us to ply.  The soundings were from forty to twenty-seven fathoms, over a bottom of sand and mud.  In the evening, the ebb making against us, we anchored about three leagues from our last station, with the passage bearing N.W.

At day-break the next morning, we weighed, with a light breeze at S., which carried us up to the passage, when it was succeeded by variable light airs from all directions.  But as there run a rapid tide in our favour, the Resolution got through before the ebb made.  The Discovery was not so fortunate.  She was carried back, got into the race, and had some trouble to get clear of it.  As soon as we were through, the land on one side was found to trend W. and S.W., and that on the other side to trend N. This gave us great reason to hope, that the continent had here taken a new direction, which was much in our favour.  Being in want of water, and perceiving that we run some risk of driving about in a rapid tide, without wind to govern the ship, I stood for a harbour, lying on the S. side of the passage, but we were very soon driven past it, and, to prevent being forced back through the passage, came to an anchor in twenty-eight fathoms water, pretty near the southern shore, out of the reach of the strong tide.  And yet, even here, we found it to run full five knots and a half in the hour.