May.' fr0£n deck it could fcarcely be Teen. In eroding this
bay, our depth of water was from thirty to twenty-two fathom,
with a white fandy bottom. At noon, we were about
three leagues from the Ihore, in latitude 25” 34' S. longitude
206° W.: Double Ifland Point bore S. W. and the norther-
moll land in fight N. 4. E. This part of the coalt, which is of
a moderate height, is more barren than any we had feen,
and the foil more fandy. With our glades we could difeover
that the fands, which lay in great patches of many acres,
were moveable, and that fome of them had not been long in
the place they pofiefled j for we faw in feveral parts, trees
half buried, the tops of which were Hill green; and in
others, the naked trunks o f fuch as the fand had furrounded
long enough to deftroy. In other places the woods appeared
to be low and Ihrubby, and we faw no figns of inhabitants.
Two water fnakes fwam by the fliip: they were beautifully
fpotted, and in every refpedt like land fnakes, except that
their tails were broad and flat, probably to ferve them inftead
of fins in fwimming. In the morning of this day, the variation
was 8° 20' E. and in the evening, 8° 36'. During the
night, we continued our courfe to the northward, with a
light breeze from the land, being diftant from it between
two and three leagues, and having from twenty-three to
twenty-feven fathom, with a fine fandy bottom.
Saturday 19. At noon on the 19th, we were about four miles from the
land, with only thirteen fathom. Our latitude Was 25® 4',
and the northermoft land in fight bore N. 21 W. diftant eight
miles. At one o’clock, being ftill four miles diftant from
the fhore, but having feventeen fathom water, We palled a
black bluff head, or point of land, upon which a great number
of the natives were afiembled, and which therefore I
called I n d i a n H e a d : it lies in latitude 25° 3'. About four
miles N. by W. of this Head, is another very like it, from
whence
whence the land trends awa y fomewhat more to the weft- 1770.
ward : next to the fea it is low and fandy, and behind it ]------
nothing was to be feen, even from the maft-head. Near a °r 3y *9‘
Indian Head wç faw more of the natives, and upon the
'neighbouring fhore fires by night, and fmoke by ddyi We
kept to the northward all night, at the diftance of from four
miles to four leagues from the fhore, and with à depth of
Water from feventeen to thirty-four fathom. At day-break, Sunday 20.
the northermoft land bore from us W. S. W. and feémed to
end in a point, from which we difeovered a reef running
out to the northward as far as we could fee. We had hauled
our wind to the weftward before it was light, and continued
the courfe till we faw thé breakers, upon our lee" bow. We
now edged away N. W. and N. N.W. along the eaft fide of
the fhoal, from two to one mile diftant, having regular
foundings from thirteen to feven fathom, with a fine fandy
bottom. At noon, our latitude;, by obfervation, was 20° 26-,
which was thirteen miles to the northward of the log: we
judged the extream point of the fhoal to bear from us about
N. W. and the point from which it feemed to run out, bore
S. £W. diftant twenty miles. This point I named S a n d y
C a p e , from two very large patches of white fand which lay
upon it. It is fufficiently high to be feen at the diftance "of
twelve leagues, in clear weather, and lies in latitude 240 43',
longitude 206° 51': the land trends from it S. W. as far as can.
be feen. We kept along the eaft fide of the fhoal till two in
the afternoon, when, judging that there was a fufficiént*
depth of water upon it tö: allow paflage for the Grip, I lent
the boat a-head to found, and upon her making the lignai
for more than five fathom, we hauled pur wind, and flood
over the tail of it in fix fathom. At this time we were in latitude
’24° 2i', and Sandy Cape boré 'S, 4 Ë. diftant ’eight1
leagues ; hut the direction o f the fhoal is neareft N. N. W.‘
Vol. III., P and