40
1791. jn a pile of Hones, railed for the purpofe of attraCling the attention of any
. ° ttobel' , European, was left a bottle fealed up, containing a parchment on which
were inlcribed the names of the veffels, and o f the commanders; with
the name given to the found, and the date of our arrival and departure.
Another bottle, containing a fimilar memorandum, was likewife depofited
on the top of Seal Ifland, with a Half ereCted to conduct any vilitor to it,
on which was affixed a medal of the year 1789. Thofe who may meet
with the ftaff will moll probably difcover the bottle hidden near it. This
— precaution was here taken, on a prefumption that Seal Ifland waS entirely
out of the reach of the inhabitants, which might not be the cafe
where the firft bottle was fecreted.
A t fun-fet the Eclipfe Illands by Compafs bore N. 74 w . Bald-head N.
45 w . Mount Gardner N. 13 E. the hummock mentioned on the 28th,
now. evidently an illand, N. 5 6 e . to n . 51 E- and the eafternmoft part
of the main m light N. 42 E. whence the coaft appeared to take, a lharp
turn to the northward. As we ftood to the s. E. the wind gradually
TueHay i8. veered to the north, which, by day light, led us out of light o f the coafl;
but as in the forenoon it was calm and the atmofphere very clear, Mount
Gardner was feen bearing N. w. 18 leagues diftant. In this fituation we had
much fwell from the eaftward; and foundings could not be gained at the
depth o f 200 fathoms. The obferved latitude was 350 37', longitude 1 190
24', which was 2' to the fouth, and 16' to the eaft, of what the log ffiewed.
The wind was light and variable until the evening, when it fettled in a
fteady breeze at s .w . ; the fwell from the eaft, and e . s . e . ftill continuing,
indicated the land in that direction to be at fome diftanee. Our unexpected
detention by the late eaftwardly winds, and the advanced ffiafon,
confpired greatly again!! profecuting refearches on this coa fl; I determined,
however, not to abandon that favorite objeCt, provided the talk
{hould not prove too dangerous, and intricate; or that the direction of the
coafl fhould not lead us too far out of our way ; as, in refpett of the former,
I aCted without any authority in the inveftigation; and, in refpeCt of
the latter, our time would not now admit of fufficient leifure to perfevere
in the puffiait. Under thefe conliderations our courfe was directed to the
n. e. during the night, in hopes of palling within light of the land lying to
the
the eaftward of Mount Gardner, fo as to conned our furvey. Not *»«■
gaining bottom with 110 to 140 fathoms of line; and there being at day- ■
break no appearance of the coafl, we fleered north, which foon brought Thurl<iayao‘
us within fight of land to the N.w. making like three illands; but on a
nearer approach, the two wefternmoft were evidently connected by low
land to the main: but the connecting of the northernmoft being uncertain,
it obtained the name of D o u b t f u l I s l a n d .
From the wefternmoft land feen this morning, to the eafternmoft land
feen on tuefday evening, is a fpace of 14 leagues, ftretching s. 58 w. and
N.g8 e. in which no land was feen. The depth of water was at this time
30 fathoms ; the bottom coarfe fand, with broken Ihells and coral. The
weather was delightfully pleafant; and, with a gentle gale at a. w. we'
fleered along the coaft, which now took a direction N. 55 e . our diftanee
from the ffiore from 2 to 4 leagues. Doubtful Illand, and the Ihores to
the siw. of it, nearly refembled the reft o f the coaft; but to the Nisi the
coaft prefented a very different profpeft ; being- compofed o f high detached
clulte?s of craggy mountains, on a bafe of low and to all appearance
level land, well wooded, particularly to the n .w . of Doubtful
Illand, where the land falls back to a confiderable diftanee, forming
either a deep well-lheltered bay, or a low flat country. At noon,
a high bluff point, extending from the northernmoft duller of mountains,
the eafternmoft land then in fight, bore by compafs N. 24 E.
the moft weftern and confpicuous duller of apparently difunited mountains
N. 67 w . about 9 leagues diftant; and the eaft point of Doubtful
Illand, the wefternmoft land at that time vifible,-s. 73 w. This'land
forms a remarkable point on the coaft, and is in latitude 34° 23', longitude
119° 49'; which, after admiral Lord Hood, I diftinguiffied by the
name of P o i n t H o o d . In this fituation, our obferved latitude was
34° 18', longitude 120° 14'; being 13' more to the north, and 6' more to
the eaft, than appeared by the log. Soon after mid-day, low land was
deferied, ftretching out from the high bluff point, which we found fitu-
ated not immediately on the ffiore, but fome diftanee inland, whence a
very low country extends to the fea coaft, which takes a direction S.70E.
breakers in two detached places were difeovered at this time lying at
V o l - L G fome