15'. This
Extent Of Coast Was Found To Consist Of A Vast Chain Of Islands; And The
Appearance And Nature Of It Revived The Hope Which Cook's Last Voyage Had
Extinguished, That In This Part Of The Coast There Might Be A Practicable
Passage From The Pacific To The Atlantic Ocean.
This hope was again extinguished in the opinion of most people, by the
result of two of the most celebrated voyages which have been performed
since the death of Captain Cook:
We allude to the voyages of La Perouse,
and of Vancouver: the former sailed with two frigates from Brest on the 1st
of August, 1785: the object of this voyage was very comprehensive and
important, being no less than to fill up whatever had been left deficient
or obscure by former navigators, and to determine whatever was doubtful, so
as to render the geography of the globe as complete and minute as possible:
he was directed to supply the island in the South Seas with useful European
vegetables. At present we shall confine our notice of this voyage to what
relates to the more immediate object of this part of our work, the coast of
North-west America.
The north-west coast of America was made by La Perouse, in latitude sixty
degrees north: from this latitude he carefully traced and examined it to
the Spanish settlement of Monterey. - an extent of coast of which Cook had
had only a transient and imperfect view. Of this he constructed a chart,
which at the time was justly regarded as extremely accurate and complete,
but was subsequently rendered much more so by the survey of particular
points and bays made by the vessels engaged in the fur trade, and
especially by that which was constructed by Vancouver, from a close and
careful examination of the numerous channels with which this coast abounds,
principally performed in boats, and therefore descending into very minute
details.
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