,,n . Cape Colnett, after one of my midffiipmen who firft difcovered
this land. Breakers were feen about half-way be-
Sundny 8. ■ tweenus and the Ihore ;, and, behind them, two or three
canoes under fail, ftanding out to fea, as if their defign had
been to come off to us •, but a little before fun-fet they ftruck
their fails, and we faw them no more. After a few hours
calm, we got a breeze at S. E„ and fpent the night ftanding
off and on.
Monday;. On the 5th at fun-rife, the horizon being clear, we could
fee the coaft extend to the S. E. of Cape Colnett, and round
by the S. W. toN, W. by W. Some gaps or openings were
yet to be feen to the Weft ; and a reef, or breakers, feemed to
lie all along the coaft, connected with thofe we difeove-red
the preceding night. It was a matter of indifference to me
whether we plied up the coaft to the S. E„ or bore down to
N. W. I chafe the latter; and after running two leagues
down the outfide of the reef (for fuch it proved) we came
before an opening that had the appearance of a good channel,
through which we might go in for the land. I wanted
to get at it, not only to vifit it, but alfo to have an opportunity
to obferve an eclipfe of the fun which was foon to happen.
With this view we brought to, hoifted out two armed
boats, and fent them to found the channel; ten or twelve
large failing canoes being then near us. We had ob-
ferved them coming off from the fhore, all the morning,
from different parts ; and fome were lying on the
reef, fifhing as we fuppofed. As foon as they all got together,
they came down to us in a body, and were pretty near
when we were hoifting out our boats, which probably gave
them fome alarm; for, without flopping, they hauled in
for the reef, and our boats followed them. We now faw
that what we had taken for openings in the coaft was low „ m*- ..
land, and that it was all connected, except the weftern ex- i----
tremity, which was an ifland known by the name o f Balabea, Monda!' s'
as we afterwards learnt.
The boats having made a fignal for a channel, and one
of them being placed on the point of the reef on the weather
fide of it, we flood in with the Ihip, and took up the other
boat in our way, when the officer informed me, that where
we were to pafs, was fixteen and fourteen fathoms water,
a fine fandy bottom, and that, having put along-fide two
canoes, he found the people very obliging and civil. They
gave him fome filh; and, in return, he prefented them with
medals, &c. In one was a flout robuft young man, whom
they underftood to be a chief. After getting within the reef,
we hauled up S. i E., for a fmall low fandy ifle that we ob-
ferved lying under the ffiore, being followed by all the
canoes. Our founding, in ftanding in, was from fifteen to
twelve fathoms (a pretty even fine fandy bottom), for about
two miles ; then we had fix, five, and four fathoms. This
was on the tail of a ffioal which lies a little without the
fmall ifle to the N. E. Being over it, we found feven and
eight fathoms water, which ffiallowed gradually, as we approached
the Ihore, to three fathoms, when we tacked, flood
off a little, and then anchored in five fathoms, the bottom
a fine fand mixed with mud. The little fandy ifle bore E. by
S., three quarters of a mile diftant -, and we were one mile
from the ffiore of the main, which extended from S. E. by
E., round by the South, to W. N. W. The ifland of Balabea
bore N. W. by N , and the channel, through which we came,
North, four m i l e s diftant. In this fituation we were ex-
Vol. II. tremeI5r