179-1. fome diftance frooi the land; the neared of thefe about 1 o’clock, bore
■ , 1 by compafs N.E. 4 miles diftant; the other, vifible only fro-m. the mafthead,
appeared to lie from the former e . by n . 2 leagues diftant. At
this time the depth of water was 35. fathoms; and as the wind blew
di.reftly on the fhore, and the main land, though not more than 4 leagues
off, was not fufficiently high to be diflin&ly feen from the deck; we
hauled our tacks on board, and flood to the s . e . increafing our diftance
very ftowly. At fix in the evening, the neareft land was a rocky ifland,
about 2 miles in circuit, which bore by compafs n . 13 e . 8 miles diftant;
and from the maft-head, the flat low coafl was vifible as far as e. n . e . ;
at 9 the depth of water had gradually increafed to 40 fathoms, Conii-
dering our prefe-nt as the moft prudent tack to remain upon until we
Uiould meet fhoals, or other impediments, I di-re&ed- the- Chatham- to
lead and found; qur depth gradually increafed, to 54 fathoms', and the
Friday 21. coafl in the morning was in fight from N .E. to eaft. The wind'blew a
light breeze from the s.s.E. with which we fleered for the land until
about nine, when-we tacked in 60 fathoms. The land in fight, at that time,
from the maft-head bore by compafs from n . n .w . to e . b y» , each extremity
9 or 6 leagues (Slant; all this was fuppofed to he the main, though
between north and- e . n . e . the land appeared- fomewhat broken, occafi-
oned perhaps by fome of its parts being elevated a little above the reft
of the fhore,, off which breakers were feen to lie at fome diftance ; and the
land, which in the morning bore eaft,. and now bore by compafs N. 87 E.
8 miles diftant, was evidently a rocky ifland about a league in circuit,
much refembling that which we paffed the preceding evening. It
proved the termination of our refearches ©n this eoa-fl, and thence obtained
the name o f T e r m i n a t i o n I s l a n d ; on it the fea broke with
much violence, and between it, and the main, was a fmall low iflet. The-
great depth of water indicated that the bank o f foundings, which we had
hitherto found extending along the coafl, terminated alfo on its approach
to this ifland, as we had, no where found fo great a depth of water at this
fmall diftance from the fhore; which, on being increafed a few miles
only, put the fhip intirely-out. o f foundings. At noon, the obferved latitude
titude was 34°34'- longitude i2 i°5 2 '; 22 miles further eaft, and 4 further
north than fhewn by the log. In this fituation the main land from t-----,— J
the maft-head was feen bearing by compafs N. N.w. to e . n . e . ~ e . ; and
Termination Ifland fituated in latitude 34°32', longitude 122” 8 » . 84 £,
Between the eallernmofl part of the main, feen the preceding evening, and
the weflernmoft feen this morning, is a fpace of 10 leagues, which we
paffed in the night without obferving land; yet, from the regularity of
the foundings, there can be little doubt of its being one continued coafl, .
and that the courfe by us made good s. 76 E. is nearly parallel to its direction.
The whole o f this low country prefented- a dreary afpeCl, def-
titute of wood, or herbage, and interfperfed with white and brown patches,
occafioned, moft probably, by, the different colours of fand or rock, of
which it is compofed. We here noticed more coafl and oceanic birds,
than we had feen on any other part o f the fhores: as, befides gunnets, and
two or three different forts of tern, albatroffes, and petrels, particularly
the black and footy, were in great abundance. The weather continued
very fine, with a light variable breeze in the eaflern quarter, which drew us,
not only out of fight, and fome diftance from the coafl, but prevented
our making much progrefs in the dire&ion, in which it feemed to bend,
until the 16th; when the wind, fettling in the weflern board, we fleered Sunday 23.
to the e .n .e . in hopes of falling in with the land; and in the event of
its taking a more northerly direction, the Chatham was ordered to look
out 3 leagues on the larboard beam. A t noon, the obferved latitude was
35°3°'> longitude 122° 40'. A t this time, the wind fuddenly fhifted
to the fouthward, and was accompanied by a very heavy fwell in that
direftion, which flrongly indicating the approach o f boifterous weather,
the Chatham’s fignal was made to join, and our courfe was directed to
e . s . e . ; not daring, under all the circumflances o f our fituation, to run
the rifk o f encountering bad weather on an unexplored coafl, that prefented
to us fo many dangers. Befides, as the lownefs of the fhores
which we had lately feen, and the diftant fhoals that we had found extending
from them, would exaci: particular caution as we proceeded,
more time would neceffarily be required in the profecution of fuch an
G 2 inquiry,