HHj the lea; againft it the billows, that now ran very high, broke with im-
— ---- >' rnenfe violence. This promontory I confidered to be that which Captain
Cook calls cape Perpétua ; our obfervations placing it in latitude
44° 12 ’ longitude 236° 5'. From hence the coaft takes a north direction,
which we ranged along at the diftance o f about 3 leagues from the
lhore, until towards noon; when having nearly reached the northern
•extent of the coaft hereabout feen by Captain Cook, and the gale ftill
increaling, we clofe-reefed the -topfails and hauled off lhore, until the
weather Ihould prove more favorable to the examination of an unknown
coaft. Cape Foulweather at this time , bore by compafs x. 42 K. 3 or 4
leagues diftant, and the coaft indiftinclly feen, from N. by e, to S.E. by s.
The obferved latitude 440 42', longitude 2350 53', and thé variation 18°
eaftwardly.
The gale having a little abated, veered to the fouth ; and the haze
clearing away from the land we again purfued our route, and in the
afternoon paffed cape Foulweather, which is a confpicuous promontory,
almoft as lingular in its appearance as any we had leen along the coaft.
A high round bluff point projects abruptly into the fea ; a remarkable
table hill is lituated to the north, and a lower round bluff to the fouth of
it. Our obfervations placed this Cape in latitude 440 49', longitude
236° 4'.
From cape Foulweather the coaft takes a direction a little to the eaft-
ward o f north, and is nearly a lirait and compaft ftiore, conliderably
elevated, and in général lleep to the fea. The face of the country is
much chequered, in fome places covered with a pleafmg verdure, in
others occupied by barren rocks and fand; but in none very thickly
wooded,
Sun-fet brought us in fight o f that part of the coaft which had been
feen by Mr. Mears ; its northern extremity in fight bore by compals
n. i w. ; cape Look-out n. 10 x. ; the neareft lhore n. 34 e . about a
league diftant. This, being a remarkably lleep bluff cliff, flattered us for
fome time with an appearance like the entrance of an harbour ; but on
a nearer approach the deception was found to have been occafioned by
the low land to the north of the bluff forming a very lhallow open bay ;
the fouthernmoil land in fight bore s. s. e . ; in this fituatioh we had 50 JJmj.
fathoms of water, black fandy bottom.
The night, which was tolerably fair, was fpent as ufual in prefervmg
our llation until day-light, when we purfued our examination along the Friday
coaft with a favorable breeze, attended with fome paffmg fhowers. Cape
Look-out then bore by compafs eall, about 2 leagues diftant. This
Gape forms only a fmall projecting point, ye t it is remarkable for the
four rocks which lie off from i t ; one of which is perforated, as defcribed
by Mr. Mears; andexcepting a rock paffed the preceding afternoon, thefe
were the lirft we had feen north of cape Gregory^ : • '
From cape Look-out, which is fituated in latitude 45° 32', longitude
236» 11', the coaft takes a direftion about n. 8 w . and is pleafingly di-
verfified with eminences and fmall hills near the fea ftiore, m which are
fome lhallow fandy bays, with a few detached rocks lying about a mile
from the land. The more inland country is conliderably. elevated; the
mountains ftretch towards the fea, and at a diftance appeared to form
many inlets and projefting points ; but the fandy beach that continued
along the coaft renders it a compact lhore, now and then interrupted by
perpendicular rocky cliffs, on which the furf violently breaks. This
mountainous inland country extends about. 10 leagues to the north from
rape Look-out, where it defcends fuddenly to a moderate height; and
had it been deftitute of its timber, which feemed o f confiderable magnitude
and to compofe an intire forelt, it might be deemed lowland Noon
brought ns up with a very confpicuous point of land comptffed of a
cltiffiar of hummocks, moderately high, and proje&ng into the fea from the
lo w land before mentioned. Thefe hummocks are barren and fteep near
the fea, but their tops thinly covered with wood On the fouth fide o f this
promontory was the appearance of an Wet, or fmallwiv.er, the land behind
not indicating it to be o f any great extent; nor did it feem aeceflible
for veffels of our burthen, as the breakers extended from the .above point
•a or 0 miles into the ocean, until they joined thofe on the beach nearly 4
■ leagues further fouth. On reference to Mr. Mears’s defcnpt.on of the
coaft fouth of this promontory, I was at f i t * induced to believe it to be
cape Shoal water, but on afcertainmg M latitude, I prefumed it t o t e
VOL. I. E e