mountains, totally barren and rocky; and this difference gives the Cape the appearance of an inland. At fun-fet, the fouthermoft land in fight bore due fouth, diftant about five or fix leagues; and as this is the westermoft point of land upon the whole coaft, I called it WEST CAPE. It lies. about three leagues to the fouthward of Dusky Bay, in the latitude of 45° 54' S. and in the longitude of 193° 17′ W. The land of this Cape is of a moderate height next the fea, and has nothing remarkable about it, except a very white cliff, two or three leagues to the fouthward of it: to the fouthward of it alfo the land trends away to the S. E. and to the northward it trends N. N. E. 1770. March. Tuesday 13.. 74 Having brought to for the night, we made Wednef. 4 fail along the shore at four in the morning, in the direction of N. E. N. with a moderate breeze at S. S. E. At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 45° 13' S. At this time, being about a league and an half from the fhore, we founded, but had no ground with seventy fathom we had juft paffed a small narrow opening in land, where there feemed to be a very fafe and convenient harbour, formed by an island, which lay in the middle of the opening at eaft. The opening lies in latitude 45° 16′ S., and on the land behind it are mountains, the fummits of which were covered with fnow, that appeared to have been recently fallen; and indeed for two days paft we had found the weather very cold. On each fide the entrance of the opening, the land rifes almost perpendicularly from the sea to a ftupendous height, and this indeed was the reafon why I did not carry the fhip into it, for no wind could blow there but right in, or right out, in the direction of either east or weft, and I thought it by no means advisable to put into a place whence I could not have got out but with a wind which experience had taught me did not blow more than one day in a month. In this, however, I acted contrary to the opinion of fome perfons on board, who in very ftrong terms expreffed their defire to harbour for prefent convenience, without any regard to future difadvantages. In the evening, being about two leagues from the shore, we founded, and had no ground with 108 fathom: the variation of the needle, by azimuth, was 14° E. and by amplitude 15° 2' We made the beft of our way along the fhore with what wind we had, keeping at the distance of between two and three leagues. At noon, we were in latitude 44° 47', having run only twelve leagues upon a N. E. N. course, during the last four and twenty hours. 1 We continued to fteer along the fhore, in the direction of N. E. E. till fix o'clock in the ́evening, when we brought to for the night. At four in the morning, we ftood in for the land, and when the day broke we saw what appeared 1770. March. to be an inlet; but upon a nearer approach Thurd. 15. proved to be only a deep valley between two high lands: we proceeded therefore in the fame course, keeping the fhore at the distance of between four and five miles. At noon on the 16th, Friday 16, the northermoft point of land in fight bore N. 60 E. at the distance of ten miles; and our la titude, by observation, was 44° 5, our longi tude from Cape Weft 2°8′E. About two, we paft the point which at noon had been diftant ten miles, and found it to confift of high red cliffs, down which there fell a cascade of water in four fmall ftreams, and I therefore gave it the name of CASCADE POINT. From this Point the land trends firft N. 76 E. and afterwards more to the northward. At the distance of eight leagues from Cascade Point, in the direction of E. N. E. and at a little distance from the fhore, lies a small low ifland, which bore from us S. by E. at the distance of about a league and a half. At feven in the evening, we brought to, in thirty-three fathom, with a fine sandy bottom; at ten we had fifty fathom, and at twelve wore in fixty-five fathom, having driven feveral miles N. N. W. after our having brought to. At two Saturd. 17. in the morning, we had no ground with 140 fathom, by which it appears that the foundings extend but a little way from the fhore. About 1770. March. this time it fell calm; at eight, a breeze sprung Mch up at S. W. with which we steered along the Saturd. 17. fhore, in the direction of N. E. by E. E. at the distance of about three leagues. At fix in the evening, being about one league from the shore, we had seventeen fathom; and at eight, being about three leagues from the fhore, we had forty-four; we now fhortened fail, and brought to, having run ten leagues N. E. by E. fince noon. It was calm most part of the night; but at Sunday 18. ten in the morning a light breeze sprung up at S. W. by W. when we made fail again along the fhore N. E. by N., having a large swell from the W. S. W. which had rifen in the night; at noon, our latitude, by obfervation, was 43° 4′ S. and our longitude from Cape West 4° 12′ E. We observed, that the vallies as well as the mountains were this morning covered with snow, part of which we fuppofed to have fallen during the night, when we had rain. At fix in the evening we shortened fail, and at ten brought to, at the distance of about five leagues from the fhore, where we had 115 fathom. At midnight, there being little wind, we made sail, and Monday 19. at eight in the morning we ftood to the N. E. close upon a wind till noon, when we tacked, being about three leagues from the land, and, by obfervation, in latitude 42° 8′ and longitude from Cape Weft 5o 5′ E.. 1 1770. March. Tuesday 20 We continued to ftand weftward till two in the morning, when we made a trip to the eastward, and afterwards ftood weftward till noon, when, by our reckoning, we were in the latitude 42° 23', and longitude from Cape Weft 3° 55′ E. We now tacked and stood eastward, with a fresh gale at N. by W. till fix in the evening, when the wind fhifted to the S. and S. S. W. with which we fteered N. E. by N. till fix in the morning, when we hauled in E. by N. to make Wednef. 21. the land, which we faw foon afterwards; at noon, our latitude, by account, was 41° 37', and our longitude from Cape Weft 5° 42′ E. We were now within three or four leagues of the land, but it being foggy, we could fee nothing upon it diftinctly, and as we had much wind, and a vaft fwell rolling in upon the fhore, from the W. S. W. I did not think it safe to go nearer. In the afternoon, we had a gentle breeze from the S, S. W. with which we fteered north along the fhore till eight, when, being within between two and three leagues, we founded, and had but thirty-four fathom; upon which we hauled off N. W. by N. till eleven at night, and then brought to, having fixty-four fathom. At four in the morning, we made fail to the N, E. with a light breeze at S. S. W. which at eight veered to the weftward, and foon after died away; at this time we were within three or four miles of the land, and had fifty-four fathom, with a large fwell Thurfd. 22. |