1770k land; and at ten o’clbfek, wé faw it, bearing N. W. It ap-
> peared to be high, and at noon extended from N. to E. N. E.
' ' 3' diftant by eftimation eight or ten leagues. Cape Maria then
boreN. 2‘ 30'W. diftant thirty-three leagues; our latitude by
óbférvation Was 36° 2' S. About feven o’clock in the evening,
We wère within fik:leagues of it; but having a freftr gale
upon it, with k rolling fea, we hauled our wind to the S. Eland
kept on that Courfe clófe upon the wind all night, founds
ing feveral times, but having no ground with one hundred,
and one hundred and ten fathom.1
Thurfday 4. At eight o’clock thé next morning, we were about five
leagues from the land, and off a placé which lies in latitude
36° 25', and had the appearance of a bay or inlet. It bore
eaft; and in order to lee more of it, we kept on our courfe
till eleven o'clock, when we were not more than three leagues
from it, and then difcovered that it was neither inlet nor
bay, but a tradt of low land, bounded by higher lands on
each fide, which produced the deception. At this time, we
tacked and flood io the N.W.; and at noon, the land was not
diftant more than three or four leagues. We were now in
latitude 36° 31' S. longitude 185° 50' W. Cape Maria bore
N. 25 W. diftant forty-four leagues and an h a lf; fo that the
coaft muft be almoft ftrait in the direction of S.S.E. 4 E. and
N.N. W. 4 W. nearly. In about latitude 35° 45' is fome high
land adjoining to the fea; to the fouthward of which the
fliore is alfo high, and has the moft defolate and inhofpi-
table appearance that can be imagined. Nothing is to be
feen but hills of fand, on which there is fcarcely a blade of
verdure;, and a vaft fea, impelled k y the wefterly winds,
breaking upon it in a dreadful furf, renders it not only forlorn,
but frightful; complicating the idea of danger with
defolation, and imprefling the mrnd at once with,a fenfe of
mifery
r o u n d t h e wo r l d .
■ miferv and death. From this place J I fleered to the north- Ja«n7u7a0r.y,
ward, refolving nev£r more to come within the fame diltance <— »
>of the coaft, except the wind fhould be very favourable in- ay t
deed. I flood under a frefh fail all the day, hoping to get an
.0fling by the next noon, and we made good a courfe of a
hundred and two miles N. 38 W. Our latitude by obferva-
tion was 350 ro'S,:; and Cape Maria bore N. 10 E. diftance
forty-one miles;: In the .night, the. wind fluffed from S. W.
by S. !to ‘S. land blew fr,efh.,- Our courfe to the noon of the Friday.*.
•5th-was N. ,75 W. diftance eight miles. |
At day-break on the 6th, we faw the land which we took Saturday 6.
40 be' Cape1 Maria, bearing N. N. E. diftant eight or nine
Teagues:' and on the 7th, in the afternoon, the land bore Sunday7.
eaft : and fome time after we difcovered a turtle upon the
Water; but being awake, it dived inftantly, fo that we could
hot take it. At noon, the high land, which has juft been
mentioned, extended from N. toE. at the diftance of five or
fix leagues ; and in two places; a flat gave it the appearance
of a bay or inlet. The courfe that we made good the laft
four and twenty hours was S. 33 E. fifty-three miles; Cape
Maria bearing N. 25 W. diftant thirty leagues.
We failed within fight of land all this day, with gentle
gales between the N. £• and N. W .; and by the next noqh Monday 5.
had failed fixty-nine miles, in the diredtion ofS. 37 E .; our
latitude by obfervation was 36° 39 S. The land which on
the 4th we had taken for a bay, now bore N. E. by N. diftant
five leagues and an half; and Cape Maria N. 29 W. forty-
feven leagues.
On the 9th, we continued a fouth eaft courfe till eight Ticfday 9.
■ o’clock in the evening, having run feven leagues fince noon,
with the wind at N. N. E. and N. and being within three or
four leagues of the land, which appeared to be low and
3 C 2 fandy.