' Some of our people, in a pinnace, went in fearch of a paflage to go out of the
bay, and landed on a coral reef, where they met with a great number of ihells;
and, among the reft, the fpondylus, and a large fort of trochus, or top-ihell, with
which they loaded the boat.
On the 4th of Auguft, in the morning, we weighed anchor, left the harbour,
and fteered N. E. till we were near the Turtle Reefs; there we anchored again,
and fent the boats on ihore, which returned with a turtle, a large ikate, and a great
number of clams, a fort of cockle, fome of them very large.
On the 5th, it blew fo hard that we could not weigh anchor till afternoon, and
then we ftood to the N. E. but, meeting with feveral fhoals, we were obliged to
caft anchor again, as the wind blew freih, and were detained till the 10th. Oi\
the morning of which we weighed anchor again, but the wind blowing hard from
the S. S. E. we drove, and were obliged at length to let go two anchors, and
rode by the firft with near two hundred fathoms of cable.
We had chiefly ftrong gales of wind after the fun’s approach toward us from
the tropic of Capricorn; and, on account of the many ihoals hereabout, we did
not go diredly out to fea, but kept near the lhore, and pafled by fome low iflands
well covered with trees.
We alfo faw three high iflands, and failed betwixt them and the main: the
latter appeared very lovy, barren, and fandy.
Toward evening we were on a fudden alarmed by the appearance of land all
round us: the weather being hazy, and the wind blowing freih, we hauled
in our wind, and came to under a bluff point of the main.
On the 13th, in the morning, we weighed anchor, and ftood to the eaftward,
clofe to one of the high iflands which we had pafled before, and fo on through a
break of the reef, which was about half a mile wide. This reef, which the captain difcovered
covered from the top of the laft-mentioned ifland,' ran farther than the eye
could reach, on the outermoft fide of all the reft, like a wall, and the fea broke
very high upon it: We found no founding in' the paflage, latitude 140 38', and
we ftood to the N. E. in order to get out to fea, intending to keep to the northward
on the morrow.
On the 15th, about noon, we faw land again in latitude 13" ft. alfo a continuation
of the reef which ran along-fide of it. In the evening, ftanding right in for
land, we were alarmed by fuddenly difcovering that reef extended to leeward of
us, upon which we hauled in our wind; and crouded all the fail we could, that we
might be able to weather the fartheft point of it. The wind was eafterly this day,
more moderate, and the fwell of the fea lefs.
On the 16th, at the dawn of day, we had a reef under our lee, at about
a mile diftance, which alarmed us much. When it was quite light, we faw
breakers all round us excepting to windward, where we camejn. The wind failing
us about midnight, we tacked about, being afraid to ftand any farther; and
the wind’s ftill failing was the caufe that we drove on the reef, which we now
neared apace. In this dilemma, we firft hoifted out our finall boats (the long boat
being flowed, and the pinnace repairing) to tow her off, and got a pair of fweeps
rigged out of the gun-room ports, to turn her head about. A flight puff of wind
gave us fome hopes of effecting it ; but that failing* we approached fo near the
breakers, that there was but one heave of the fwell between them and the ihip.
However, with our pulling, the alteration of the tide, and another flight puff of
wind, we cleared her a little more from the reef, and ftood to' where we faw a
break in the reef to leeward, there we hoped, at leaft, to find ground to anchor
upon ; but, when we got to the entrance of it, we were driven off by a ripple of
the tide that fet out with great force; which, however, proved very providential,
as we afterward found there were rocks in the paflage, and that it was not a proper
break. We then ftood to windward, intending either to get out as we came in,
or a little farther down to leeward, where the reef feemed detached; bur, perceiving,
foon after, the tops of fome rocksdnthe paflage, we declined attempting if.
The wind again dying away, we were at a lofs what to do-fbr the beft; but, at laft,
determined on fending fome of our people in the boat to examine into the appear-
X 2 ance