1770. March.

Thurfd, 8.

Friday 9,

westward the remainder of this day, and all the next till fun-fet, when the extremes of the land bore from N. by E. to W. diftant about seven or eight leagues: in this fituation our depth of water was fifty-five fathom, and the variation by amplitude 16° 29′ E. The wind now veered from the N. to the W., and as we had fine weather, and moonlight, we kept standing clofe upon the wind to the S. W. all night. At four in the morning, we had fixty fathom water; and at day-light, we difcovered under our bow à ledge of rocks, extending from S. by W. to W. by S. upon which the fea broke very high : they were not more than three quarters of a mile diftant, yet we had five and forty fathom water. As the wind was at N. W. we could not now weather them, and as I was unwilling to run to leeward, I tacked and made a trip to the eastward; the wind however foon after coming to the northward, enabled us to get clear of all. Our foundings, while we were paffing within the ledge, were from thirty-five to fortyfeven fathom, with a rocky bottom:

This ledge lies S. E. fix leagues from the fouthermoft part of the land, and S. E. by E. from fome remarkable hills which ftand near the fhore about three leagues to the northward of it, there is another ledge, which lies full three leagues from the fhore, and on which the fea broke in a dreadful furf. As we paffed thefe

these rocks to the north in the night, and discovered the others under our bow at break of day, it is manifeft that our danger was imminent, and our escape critical in the highest degree: from the fituation of thefe rocks, fo well adapted to catch unwary ftrangers, I called them the TRAPS. Our latitude at noon was 47° 26 S. The land in fight, which had the appearance of an ifland, extended from N. E. by N. to N. W. by W. and feemed to be about five leagues diftant from the main; the eastermoft ledge of rocks bore S. S. E. diftant one league and an half, and the northermoft N. E. E. distant about three leagues. This land is high and barren, with nothing upon it but a few straggling fhrubs, for not a fingle tree was to be feen; it was however remarkable for a number of white patches, which I took to be marble, as they reflected the fun's rays very strongly : other patches of the fame kind we had obferved in different parts of this country, particularly in Mercury Bay: we continued to stand close upon a wind to the weftward, and at fun-fet the fouthermost point of land bore N. 38 E. diftant four leagues, and the westermoft land in fight bore N. 2 E. The point which lies in latitude. 47 19 S. longtitude 192° 12' W. I named SOUTH CAPE; the westermoft land was a small inland, lying off the point of the main.

1770. March,

w Friday 9.

1770% March.

Friday g

Saturd, 10,

Sunday 11.

Suppofing South Cape to be the southern ex tremity of this country, as indeed it proved to be, I hoped to get round it by the weft, for a large hollow fwell from the south west, ever fince our last hard gale, had convinced me that there was no land in that direction.

In the night we had a hard gale at N. E. by N. and N. which brought us under our courses, but about eight in the morning it became mo derate; and at noon, veering to the weft, we tacked and ftood to the northward, having no land in fight. Our latitude, by observation, was 47° 33′ S., our longitude, weft from the South Cape, 59. We ftood away N. N. E. clofe upon a wind, without seeing any land, till two the next morning, when we discovered an ifland bearing N. W. by N. diftant about five leagues about two hours afterwards we faw land a-head, upon which we tacked and ftood off till fix, when we stood in to take a nearer view of it: at eleven we were within three leagues of it, but the wind feeming to incline upon the fhore, I tacked and flood off to the fouthward. We had now failed round the land which we had discovered on the 5th, and which then did not appear to be joined to the main which lay north of it; and being now come to the other fide of what we fuppofed to be water, a bay, or low land, it had the fame appearance, but when I came to lay it down upon paper

I

faw

1770. March.

faw no reason to fuppofe it to be an island; on the contrary, I was clearly of opinion that it made part of the main. At noon, the western Sunday 11 extremity of the main bore N. 59 W., and the ifland which we had feen in the morning S. 59 W. diftant about five leagues. It lies in latitude 46° 31′ S. longitude 192° 49′ W., and is nothing but a barren rock about a mile in circuit, remarkably high, and lies full five leagues. diftant from the main. This ifland I named after Dr. Solander, and called it SOLANDER'S ISLAND. The shore of the main lies nearest E. by S. and W. by N. and forms a large open bay, in which there is no appearance of any harbour or fhelter for fhipping against S. W. and foutherly winds: the furface of the country is broken into craggy hills, of a great height, on the fummits of which are feveral patches of fnow it is not, however, wholly barren, for we could fee wood not only in the vallies, but upon the highest ground, yet we saw no appearance of its being inhabited.

We continued to ftand to the S. W. by S. Mɔnday 12. till eleven o'clock the next morning, when the wind fhifted to the S. W. by W., upon which we wore, and food to the N. N. W., being then in latitude 47° 40′ S. longitude 193° 50′ W., and having a hollow fea from the S. W.

During the night, we fteered N. N. W. till Tuesday 13. fix in the morning, when, feeing no land, we

1770. March.

fteered N. by E. till eight, when we fteered N. E. by E. E. to make the land, which at ten Tuesday 13. we saw bearing E. N. E., but it being hazy, we could diftinguifh nothing upon it, At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 46° S. About two it cleared up, and the land appeared to be high, rude, and mountainous: about half an hour after three I hauled in for a bay, in which there appeared to be good anchorage; but in about an hour, finding the diftance too great to run before it would be dark, and the wind blowing too hard to make the attempt safe in the night, I bore away along the fhore,

This bay, which I called Dusky Bay, lies in latitude 45° 47′ S.; it is between three and four miles broad at the entrance, and seems to be full as deep as it is broad: it contains feveral islands, behind which there must be fhelter from all winds, though poffibly there may not be fufficient depth of water. The north point of this bay, when it bears S. E, by S., is rendered very remarkable by five high peaked rocks which lie off it, and have the appearance of the four fingers and thumb of a man's hand, for which reafon I called it POINT FIVE FINGERS: the land of this point is farther remarkable, for being the only level land within a confiderable diftance. It extends near two leagues to the northward, is lofty, and covered with wood: the land behind it is very different, confifting wholly of mountains,