2 6 C OMMO D O R E B Y R O N ’ s V O Y A G E
1764- next morning, however, it being northerly, I flood in to a
December.. at t]-,e bottom o f which there appeared to be a
wednef. 19. bUt I found it barred, the fea breaking quite from
one fide o f it to the other; and at low water I could perceive
that it was rocky, and almoft all dry: the water was fhoal
at a good diftance from it, and I was in fix fathom before I
flood out again. In this place there feemed to be plenty of
jfifh, and we fa w many porpoifes fwimming after them, that
were as white as fnow, with black fpots; a very uncommon
and beautiful fight. The land here has the fame appearance
as about Port Defire, all downs, without a Angle tree.
TharHay re. At break o f day, on the 20th, we were off Cape Fair-
weather, which bore about well” at the diftance o f four
leagues, and we had here but thirteen fathom water, fo that
it appears neceffary to give that Cape a good birth. From
this place I ran clofe in fhore to Cape Virgin Mary, but I
found the coaft to lie S. S. E. very different from Sir John*
Narborough’s defcription, and a long fpit o f fand running;
to the fouthward o f the Cape for above a league: in the
evening I worked up clofe to this fpit o f fand, having fee»
many guanicoes feeding in the vallies as we went along,
and a great fmoke all the afternoon, about four or five
leagues up the Streight, upon the north fhore. At this place
I came to an anchor in fifteen fathom water, but the Tamar
was fo far to lee ward, that fhe could not fetch the anchoring
ground, and therefore kept under way all night.
The next morning, at day-break, I got again under fail,
and feeing the fame fmoke that I had obferved the day before,
I flood in for it, and anchored about two miles from the
fhore. This is the place where the crew of the Wager, as
they were palling the Streight in their boat, after the lofs o f
the veiiel, faw a number of horfemen, who waved what ap-
7 peared
Friday 21.