the current, and found it fet to the eaftward at the rate o f a
knot and an half an hour. At three it fell calm, and the
current driving us to the eaftward very fall, we dropped an
anchor, which before it took the ground was in one hundred
and twenty fathom.
This day, and not before, the Tamar’s boat returned from
the well ward: fhe had been within two or three leagues of
Cape Pillar, and had found feveral very good anchoring-
places on the fouth fhore.
Monday 8. At one o’clock the next morning, having a frelh gale at
wed, we weighed, notwithftanding the weather was thick,
and made fa il; at eleven it blew very hard, with violent rain
and a great fea, and as we perceived that we rather loft than
gained ground, we flood in for a bay on the fouth fhore,
about four leagues to the weftward o f Cape Upright, and
anchored in twenty fathom: the ground was not good, but
in other refpedts this was one o f the belt harbours that we
had met with in the Streight, for it was impoflible that any
wind fhould hurt us. There being lels wind in the afternoon,
and it inclining a little towards the fouth, we unmoored
at two, and at four, the wind having then come
round to the S. S. E. and being a moderate breeze, we
weighed and fleered to the weftward: we made about two
leagues and an half, but night then coming on, we anchored,
not without great difficulty, in a very good bay on
the fouth lhore in twenty fathom. As very violent gulls
came from the land, we were very near being driven off before
we could let go an anchor, and i f we had not at laft
fucceeded we mull have palled a dreadful night in the
Streight; for it blew a hurricane from the time we came to
an anchor till the morning, with violent rain, which was
fometimes intermingled with fnow.
Sunday 7.
At
At fix o’clock, the wind being Hill frefh and fqually at 1765.
S. S. E. we weighed and' fleered W. by N. along the fouth ■ Af. ril
fhore. At eleven, we were abreaft o f Cape Pillar, which by: Tuefda)' 9-
compafs is about fourteen leagues W. § N. from Cape Upright.
Cape Pillar may be known by a large gap upon the
top, and when it bears W.S. W. an illand appears off it which
has an appearance fomewhat like a hay-ftack, and about
which lie feveral rocks. The Streight to the eaftward o f the
Cape is between feven and eight leagues over ; the land on
each fide is o f a moderate height,: but it is loweft on the
north fhore, the fouth fhore being much the boldell, though
both are craggy and broken. Weftminfter Illand is nearer
to the north than the fouth fhore; and, by the compafs, lies
N. E. from Cape Pillar. The land on the north fhore, near
the weft end o f the Streight, makes in many iflands and
rocks, upon which the fea breaks in a tremendous manner.
The land about Cape Victory is diftant from Cape Pillar
about ten or eleven leagues, in the direction o f N. W. by N.
From the Cape weftward, the coaft trends S. S. W. i W. to
Cape Defeada, a low point, off which lie innumerable
rocks and breakers. About four leagues W. S. W. from Cape5
Defeada lie fome dangerous rocks, called by Sir John Nar-
borough the Judges, Upon which a mountainous furf always
breaks with inconceivable fury' Four fmall iflands,
called the Iflands o f Direction, are diftant from Cape Pillar
about eight letches, in the direction o f N. W. by W. When
we were off this Cape it was Hark calm; but I never faw
l’uch a fwell as rolled in here, nor fuch a furge as broke on
each fhore. I expedted every moment that the wind would
fpring up from its ufual quarter, and that the beft which
could happen to us would be to be driven many leagues up
the Streight again. Contrary however to all expectation, a
M a