James Bay

“ The bay is every where free from danger, and of an unfathomable depth, except near the shores, which are for the most part low. This, however, is only a very narrow strip between the sea-shore and the foot of the hills; for the bay, as well as the flat land at the head of it, is bounded on each side by a ridge of hills, one of which, that to the west, is very high and double, extending the whole length of the island. An uncommonly luxuriant vegetation was every where to be seen; the sides of the hills were chequered with plantations; and every valley watered by a stream. ”

“ By the beginning of January, James bay is frozen across, and at the same time solid ice usually extends from the east coast of Hudson bay to the outer line of islands, some sixty or seventy miles from that coast. In other parts of Hudson bay, and in Hudson strait a margin of solid ice usually extends from one to five miles from the shore, except where the coast is high and bold with deep water close to the base of the cliffs. In such places, especially at headlands, solid ice does not form, and the natives in winter often have to make long and difficult detours inland to pass them. ”

“ Royal Bay, called by the Natives Matavie, [18] in which we lay, and the Dolphin before us, is not inferior to any on the Island, both in Point of conveniency and Situation. It may easily be known by a Prodigious high Mountain in the middle of the Island, which bears due south from Point Venus, which is the Eastern point of the Bay. To sail into it either keep the W. point of the Reefs which lies before Point Venus close on board, or give it a berth of near half a Mile in order to avoid a small Shoal of Coral Rocks, whereon is but 24 fathoms of water. ”

“ The Bay of Success is discovered immediately upon entring the Strait from the Northward; there is likewise a good Land Mark near the South head to know it by, which is a Mark on the land like a lane or broad road leading up from the Sea into the Country; this Bay is 1/2 a League Wide at the Entrance, and lies in West 2 1/2 Miles, and hath good Anchorage in every part of it, in 10, 8, and 7 fathoms clear ground, and affords plenty of exceeding good Wood and Water. The Wood is of the Birch kind, but of a diffrent Quality to that in England or North America ”

“ False Bay, situated to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope, is frequented by shipping during the prevalence of the north-west winds, which begin to blow in May, and make it dangerous to lie in Table Bay. It is terminated on the west by the Cape of Good Hope, and on the eastward by False Cape.
The entrance of the bay is six leagues wide, the two capes bearing from each other due east and west. About eleven miles from the Cape of Good Hope, on the west side, is situated Simon’s Bay, the only convenient station for ships to lie in ”

“ One of the gentlemen of the Eden, rode across the island to West-bay, about six miles distant, but the road was a mere footpath, and scarcely entitled to be considered a bridle-road. West-bay is where our men-of-war, on the African station, generally anchor to procure water. It is a place of no consequence, in a mercantile point of view, as it consists merely of a small negro village. We heard that the great merchant, Mr. Ferraro, had been at his house in town to-day, but he left it again without having shewn the courtesy to return Captain Owen's visit ”

“ The direction of the points of the bay were north by east, and south by west; and, in that line, the soundings seven, eight, and nine fathoms. On the north side of the bay was a small village; and a quarter of a mile to the eastward, were four small wells of good water; the road to them level, and fit for rolling casks. Mr. Bligh went afterward so far to the north as to satisfy himself, that Oreehoua was a separate island from Oneeheow; and that there was a passage between them; which, before, we only conjectured to exist. ”

“ The range of mountains flanking Cumberland Bay on each side generally present the same trap terraces as in Christmas Harbour. Six miles and a half up the bay are two inlets nearly opposite to each other; the one on the south side is a mile and half deep, a mile broad at its widest part, and one-third of a mile at the entrance. The trap rocks surrounding this bay differ from the others in containing drusy cavities of beautiful quartz crystals, many fine fragments of which were scattered about the surface of the rocky ledges. ”

“ The land from Poverty Bay to this place is of a moderate but very unequal height, distinguished by Hills and Vallies that are Cover'd with woods. We saw, as we run along shore, several Villages, cultivated lands, and some of the Natives. In the evening some Canoes came off to the Ship, and one Man came on board to whom we gave a few Trifles and then sent him away. Stood off and on until daylight, and then made sail in shore in order to look into 2 Bays that appear'd to our view about 2 Leagues to the Northward of the Foreland. ”

“ W. 35° S. from Jean Bart Point, which forms the left head of the great bay of Chatham Island, is a reef of rocks, called the Zealanders; they extend in this same direction to five miles from Jean Bart Point, but there is a good passage between them and the point.
At about twelve miles S.E. from Jean Bart Point, is the Point of Traffic (called by us Point Durham) , which forms the south cape of the great bay (called by us Petre Bay) ; some small rocks, upon which the sea always breaks, extend about two-thirds of a mile from the point: they are called Jenny's Reef in the Admiralty chart. ”

“ It is exposed to the S.E. winds; for which reason, until it be better known, the N.W. bay is preferable, because it is sheltered from the reigning winds; and the winds to which it is open, viz. from N.W. by N. to E. by N., seldom blow strong. The promontory, or peninsula, which disjoins these two bays, I named Traitor's Head, from the treacherous behaviour of its inhabitants. It is the N.E. point of the island, situated in the latitude 18° 43' S. longitude 169° '28' E., and terminates in a saddle-hill which is of height sufficient to be seen sixteen or eighteen leagues. ”

“ A steep and narrow path cuts along the former, and a really good road winds zigzag along the other to the Governor's House. Opposite the town is James's Bay, the principal anchorage, where the largest ships are perfectly safe. ”

“ It is really two thousand miles shorter than via San Francisco and New York. From James's Bay as a centre, the cities of Quebec, Montreal, Kingston, Toronto, Hamilton, London, and Winnipeg, are pretty nearly equidistant. How immense, then, will be the power which the possession of the Hudson's Bay, and of the railway route through to the Pacific, must confer upon Great Britain, so long as she holds it under her sole control. ”

“ Having passed the mouth of the bay, which is about four miles long, we opened a large circular bason of twenty-five miles in circumference, and at half past four came to an anchor in six fathoms’ water, being afraid of running foul on a shoal, or some 168sunk rocks, which are said by Muller [17] to lie in the channel of the harbour of St. Peter and St. Paul. The middle of the bay was full of loose ice, drifting with the tide, but the shores were still entirely blocked up with it. Great flocks of wild-fowl were seen of various species ”

“ The entrance into this bay, is in 52° 51ʹ N. latitude, and 158° 48ʹ E. longitude, and lies in the bight of another exterior bay, formed by Cheepoonskoi Noss, to the north, and Cape Gavareea to the south. The former of these head-lands bears from the latter north-east by north, three quarters east, and is distant thirty-two leagues. The coast, from Cape Gavareea to the entrance of Awatska Bay, takes a direction nearly north, and is eleven leagues in extent. It consists of a chain of high, ragged cliffs, with detached rocks frequently lying off them. ”

“ In the Night time, or in foggy Weather, Ships ought to place no great Dependance on the Soundings in Fortune Bay, least they may be deceived thereby, for you have more Water in many Parts near the Shore, and in several of its contained Bays and Harbours, than in the middle of the Bay itself. ”

“ In America Bay, Lively Bay, and Ship Bay, vessels at anchor are well protected from the prevailing winds, but must leave the two latter immediately on the springing up of an easterly breeze, as America Bay is the only one where there is room for a ship to beat out. ”

“ Anchored in the Bay of Success in 9 fathoms, the bottom Owse and sand.* (* The Endeavour was three days and a half in getting through the Strait of Le Maire, as far as Success Bay. It is a difficult passage for a sailing vessel even in the present day, as the tides are strong and winds generally contrary, but experience has enabled good directions to be given as to the best way to pass the Strait. Cook himself gives capital advice farther on.) The south point of the Bay bore South-East and the north point East-North-East. ”

“ Three vessels, under Captain Christopher Newport, sailed from England in the year 1607, with instructions to land on Roanoke Island. A storm drove them into Chesapeake Bay, and so delighted were they with the beauty of its shores that they determined to settle there. Sailing up the James River, they found a convenient spot for landing, and on the 13th of May the colony of Jamestown was established. There were about a hundred men in the party, many of them gentlemen of more or less precarious fortune, whose object in leaving their native land was almost entirely selfish. ”

“ Nazarre, France, on June 21st for Montreal.
The H.B. schooner "Fort Churchill," now lying in James' Bay, will be transferred this season to the Nelson River District (York Factory.) Captain Kean is proceeding from Montreal by way of Mattice and the Missanabie to take charge of the vessel on her voyage up the bay. 36
Hudson's Bay Company
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“ The Bay of Cinq Isles lies to the Southward of the North Bay, and opposite to Lally Cove Head there is tolerable good Anchorage for large Ships on the S.W. Side of the Islands in the Bottom of the Bay. The North Arm is a very snug Place for small Vessels ”

“ In the winter of 1658-1659, two French fur-traders, Radisson and Grosseilliers, imbued with a desire "to travell and see countreys" and "to be knowne with the remotest people," visited Wisconsin, probably saw the Mississippi, and built a log fort on Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior. During 1662 they discovered James's Bay to the far northeast, and became impressed with the fur-trading capabilities of the Hudson's Bay region. Not receiving French support in their enterprise, they sold [Pg 248] their services to England. ”

“ The introduction of custom-house and other dues, which had been the means of preventing the southern whalers from refitting in the Bay of Islands, and trading with the natives, was considered by those living in the neighbourhood of the bay a great grievance, as it deprived them of their best customers. The whale-ships that were accustomed to get all their supplies in the harbours of New Zealand, so much more convenient to them from being so near to their principal fishing places, are now obliged to seek refreshments, and supply all their wants, at some of the islands of the Polynesian group. ”

“ About the middle of this bay, which we called Sandy Bay, is a high mountain, standing upon a distant shore, to which I gave the name of Mount Camel. The latitude here is 34° 51ʹ S. and longitude 186° 50ʹ. We had twenty-four and twenty-five fathom water, with a good bottom; but there seems to be nothing in this bay that can induce a ship to put into it; for the land about it is utterly barren and desolate, and, except Mount Camel, the situation is low: the soil appears to be nothing but white sand, thrown up in low irregular hills and narrow ridges, lying parallel with the shore. ”

“ The inhabitants of this Bay are far more numerous than at any other place we have yet been in, and seem to live in friendship one with another, although it doth not at all appear that they are united under one head.* (* This district was found to be very populous when the missionaries came.) They inhabited both the Islands and the Main, and have a Number of Hippas, or Strong Holds, and these are all built in such places as nature hath in a great part fortified, and what she hath left undone the people themselves have finished. ”