1770. April.

Friday 20.

Satuid. 12.

not high. We continued to fail along the shore. to the northward, with a foutherly wind, and in the afternoon we faw fmoke in feveral places, by which we knew the country to be inhabited. At fix in the evening, we fhortened fail, and founded: we found forty-four fathom water, with a clear fandy bottom, and stood on under an easy fail till twelve, when we brought to for the night, and had ninety fathom water.

At four in the morning, we made fail again, at the distance of about five leagues from the land, and at fix, we were abreast of a high mountain, lying near the fhore, which on account of its figure, I called MOUNT DROMEDARY: › under this mountain the shore forms a point, to which

I

gave the name of POINT DROMEDARY, and over it there is a peaked hillock. At this time, being in latitude 36° 18' S., longitude 209° 55′ W. we found the variation to be 10° 42' E..

Between ten and eleven, Mr. Green and I took several obfervations of the fun and moon, the mean refult of which gave 209° 17′ longitude. W. By an observation made the day before, our longitude was 210° 9' W., from which 20' being fubtracted, there remains 209° 49', the longitude of the ship this day at noon, the mean of which, with this day's obfervation, gives 209° 33', by which I fix the longitude of this coaft. At noon, our latitude was 35° 49′ S., Cape Dromedary bore S. 30 W., at the distance

of

1770.

April.

of twelve leagues, and an open bay, in which were three or four fmall islands, bore N. W. by W. at the distance of five or fix leagues. This Saturday 21. bay seemed to afford but little fhelter from the fea winds, and yet it is the only place where there appeared a probability of finding anchorage upon the whole coaft. We continued to steer along the shore N. by E. and N. N. E. at the distance of about three leagues, and saw smoke in many places near the beach. At five in the evening, we were abreast of a point of land. which rofe in a perpendicular cliff, and which, for that reason, I called POINT UPRIGHT. Our latitude was 35° 35'S. when this point bore from us due weft, diftant about two leagues: in this fituation, we had about thirty-one fathom water with a fandy bottom. At fix in the evening, the wind falling, we hauled off E. N. E. and at this time the northermoft land in fight bore N. by E. E. At midnight, being in seventy fathom water, we brought to till four in the morning, when we made fail in for the land; Sunday 22. but at day-break, found our fituation nearly the fame as it had been at five the evening before, by which it was apparent that we had been driven about three leagues to the fouthward, by a tide or current, during the night. After this we fteered along the fhore N. N. E. with a gentle breeze at S. W., and were fo near the land as to diftinguish several of the natives up

1770. April,

on the beach, who appeared to be of a black, or very dark colour. At noon, our latitude, by Sunday 22. obfervation, was 35° 27' S. and longitude 209°

1

23′ W.; Cape Dromedary bore S. 28 W. distant nineteen leagues, a remarkable peaked hill, which resembled a fquare dove-house, with a dome at the top, and which for that reafon I called the PIGEON HOUSE, bore N. 32° 30' W,, and a small low ifland, which lay clofe under the shore, bore N. W. diftant about two or three leagues. When I firft difcovered this ifland, in the morning, I was in hopes from its appearance, that I fhould have found shelter for the fhip behind it, but when we came near it, it did not promife fecurity even for the landing of a boat: I fhould however have attempted to fend a boat on fhore, if the wind had not veered to that direction, with a large hollow fea rolling in upon the land from the S. E. which indeed had been the cafe ever fince we had been upon it. The coaft ftill continued to be of a moderate height, forming alternately rocky points and fandy beaches; but within, between Mount Dromedary and the Pigeon House, we saw high mountains, which, except two, are covered with wood: thefe two lie inland behind the Pigeon House, and are remarkably flat at the top, with fteep rocky cliffs all round them, as far as we could fee. The trees, which almoft every where clothe this country, appear to be large

and

Monday 23,

and lofty. This day the variation was found 1770. April. to be 9° 50′ E., and for the two laft days, then latitude, by obfervation, was twelve or fourteen Sunday 22. miles to the fouthward of the fhip's account, which could have been the effect of nothing but a current fetting in that direction. About four in the afternoon, being near five leagues from the land, we tacked and ftood off S. E, and E., and the wind having veered in the night, from E. to N. E. and N,, we tacked about four in the morning, and stood in, being then about nine or ten leagues from the fhore. At eight, the wind began to die away, and soon after it was calm, At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 35° 38, and our distance from the land about fix leagues. Cape Dromedary bore S. 37 W. distant seventeen leagues, and the Pigeon House N. 40 W. in this fituation we had 74 fathom water. In the afternoon, we had variable light airs and calms, till fix in the evening, when a breeze fprung up at N. by W.: at this time, being about four or five leagues from the shore, we had seventy fathom water. The Pigeon House bore N. 45 W. Mount Dromedary S. 30 W. and the northernmoft land in fight N. 19 E.

We stood to the north-east till noon the next Tuesday 24day, with a gentle breeze at N. W., and then we tacked and stood weftward. At this time, our latitude, by obfervation, was 35° 10' S., and longitude 208° 51′ W. A point of land which I

had

had discovered on St. George's day, and which therefore I called CAPE GEORGE, bore W. diftant nineteen miles, and the Pigeon House (the latitude and longitude of which I found to be 35° 19′ S. and 209° 42′ W.) S. 75 W. In the morning, we had found the variation, by amplitude, to be 7° 50' E. and by several azimuths 7° 54' E. We had a fresh breeze at N. W. from noon till three; it then came to the weft, when we tacked and ftood to the northward. At five in the evening, being about five or fix leagues from the fhore, with the Pigeon House bearing W. S. W. diftant about nine leagues, we had eighty-fix fathom water; and at eight, having thunder and lightning, with heavy fqualls, we brought to in 120 fathom.

At three in the morning, we made fail again to the northward, having the advantage of a fresh gale at S. W. At noon, we were about three or four leagues from the fhore, and in latitude 34° 22′ S., longitude 208° 36′ W. In the course of this day's run from the preceding noon, which was forty-five miles north-eaft, we faw smoke in feveral places near the beach. About two leagues to the northward of Cape George, the shore feemed to form a bay, which promised shelter from the north-east winds, but as the wind was with us, it was not in my power to look into it without beating up, which would have coft me more time than I was willing to

fpare.