150
*77°- die northward, we Ihould be compelled to take that meafure
i_—'l—Lj at laft.' Thefe anxious deliberations engaged us till eleven
d’clock at night, -when the Ihip drove, and obliged us to
veer away to a cable and one third, -which brought her up ;
Tuefdaj’ 7, iJUt }n the morning, the gale increafing, £he drove again,
and we therefore let go the fmall bower, and veered away
to a whole cable upon it, and two cables on the other anchors,
yet Hie flill drove, though not fo fa il; we then got
down top-gallant mails, and ftruck the yards and top-malls
clofe down, and at lall had the fatisfadlion to find that Ihe
rode. Cape Bedford now bore W. S. W. diftant three leagues
and an half, and in this fituatioh we had Ihoals to the eaft-
ward, extending from the S. E. by S. to the N. N. W. the
nearell of which was about two miles diftant. As the gale
Thurfdayg. continued, with little remillion, we rode till feven o’clock in
friday 10, yPj. m0rning of the roth, when, it being more moderate, we
weighed, and Hood in for the land, having at length determined
to feek a pallage along the fhore to the northward,
flill keeping the boat ahead: during our run in we had from
nineteen to twelve fathom : after Handing in about an hour,
we edged away for three fmall iflands that'lay N. N. E. E.
three leagues from Cape Bedford, which the Mailer had
vifited while we were in port. At nine o’clock, we were
abreaft of them, and between them and the main : between
us and the main there was another low illand, which lies
N. N. W. four miles from the three iflands ; and in this
channel we had fourteen fathom water. The northermofi:
point of land in fight now bore N. N. W. 4 W. diftant,about
two leagues. Four or five leagues to the north of this head
land, we faw three iflands, near which lay fome that were
Hill fmaller, and we could fee the Ihoals and reefs without
us, extending to the northward, as far as thefe iflands: between
thefe reefs and the head land, we directed our courfe
leaving
leaving to the eaftward a fmall illand, which lies N, by E. I77°-
diftant four miles from the; three iflands. At noon, we s__5_
were got between the head land; and the. three iflands : from Fn ^ 10"
the head land we were diftant two leagues, and from the
iflands four;, our latitude;, by obfer.vation, was 14° 51'. We
now thought we law a clear, opening before us, and Roped
that we were once more put of danger; in this;hope,. however,
wefoon found ourfelves difappointed, and for that rea.—
Ibn L called the head land. Cap.e Flatxery. It lies in latitude
14“ .56' S., longitude 214° 43'W. and is a lofty promontory,,
making.next.thefea, in, two.RilR,. which,haye a third behind;
them-, with lowTandy ground on eachlide: it mayhowever
be flill better known by the. three iflands out at fea: the
northermofi; and largeft. lies about five leagues from the
Cape, in. the diredtion. of N, N. E.. , From ..Cape Flattery the
land trends away N. W, and N. W. by W. We fleered along
the, Ihore N. W. by W. till one o’clock,, for what'we thought
tire open channel,, when the petty officer at the mall-head
cried out that he faw land ahead, extending quite round to
the iflands. that lay without us,, and a large reef between
us and them: upon this: I ran up to the mad-head myfelf,
from whence I very plainly faw the reef, which was now fo
far to windward, that we could not weather it, but the land
ahead, which he had fuppofed to be the main, appeared to
me to be only a duller of fmall iflands. - As foon as I got
down from the mall-head; the Mailer, and fome others werrt
up, who all infilled that the land ahead was not iflands, bur
the main, and to make their report Hill more alarming, they
faid that they faw breakers all round us. In this dilemma,
we hauled upon a wind in for the land, and made the fignai
for the boat that was founding ahead to come on board, but
as Ihe was'far to leeward, we were obliged to edge away to ?
take her up, and foon after we came to an anchor, under, a
point;