1770 June. Sunday 10. of rain. At four in the morning, the breeze freshened at S. by E. and the weather became fair : we continued fteering N. N. W. W. as the land lay, at about three leagues distance, with ten, twelve, and fourteen fathom water. Aţ ten, we hauled off north, in order to get without a fmall low ifland, which lay at about two leagues diftance from the main, and great part of which at this time, it being high-water, was overflowed; about three leagues to the northweft of this island, clofe under the main land, is another island, the land of which rises to a greater height, and which at noon bore from us N. 55 W. diftant feven or eight miles. At this time our latitude was 16° 20′ S. Cape Grafton bore S. 29 E. diftant forty miles, and the northermoft point of land in fight N. 20 W.; our depth of water was fifteen fathom. Between this point and Cape Grafton, the fhore forms a large, but not a very deep bay, which being difcovered on Trinity Sunday, I called TRINITY BAY. CHAP CHA P. II. Dangerous Situation of the Ship in her H 1770. June. ITHERTO we had fafely navigated this dangerous coaft, where the fea in all parts conceals fhoals that fuddenly project from Sunday 10. the fhore, and rocks that rife abruptly like a pyramid from the bottom, for an extent of two and twenty degrees of latitude, more than one thousand three hundred miles; and therefore hitherto none of the names which diftinguish the feveral parts of the country that we saw, are memorials of diftrefs; but here we became acquainted with misfortune, and we therefore called the point which we had just seen farthest to the northward, CAPE TRIBULATION. This Cape lies in latitude 16o 6′ S., and longitude 214° 39′ W. We steered along the fhore N. by W. at the distance of between three and four leagues, having from fourteen to twelve, and ten fathom water: in the offing we saw two islands, which lie in latitude 16° S., and about fix or feven leagues from the main. At fix in the evening, the northermoft land in fight bore N. by G4 1770. June. I 2 I N. by W. W., and two low woody islands, which fome of us took to be rocks above water, Sunday 10. bore N. W. At this time we fhortened fail, and hauled off fhore E. N. E. and N. E. by E. clofe upon a wind, for it was my design to ftretch off all night, as well to avoid the danger we faw ahead, as to fee whether any iflands lay in the offing, especially as we were now near the latitude affigned to the islands which were dif covered by Quiros, and which fome geogra phers, for what reafon I know not, have thought fit to join to this land. We had the advantage of a fine breeze, and a clear moonlight night, and in ftanding off from fix till near nine o'clock, we deepened our water from fourteen to twentyone fathom; but while we were at fupper it fuddenly fhoaled, and we fell into twelve, ten, and eight fathom, within the space of a few minutes; I immediately ordered every body to their ftation, and all was ready to put about and come to an anchor, but meeting at the next caft of the Jead with deep water again, we concluded that we had gone over the tail of the fhoals which we had feen at fun-fet, and that all danger was paft: before ten, we had twenty and one and twenty fathom, and this depth continuing, the gentlemen left the deck in great tranquillity, and went to bed; but a few minutes before eleven, the water fhallowed at once from twenty to feventeen fathom, and before the lead could upon 1770. June. Sunday 10. be caft again, the fhip ftruck, and remained immoveable, except by the heaving of the furge, n that beat her against the craggs of the rock which the lay. In a few moments every body was upon the deck, with countenances which fufficiently expreffed the horrors of our fituation. We had ftood off the fhore three hours and a half, with a pleasant breeze, and therefore knew that we could not be very near it, and we had too much reafon to conclude that we were upon a rock of coral, which is more fatal than any other, because the points of it are fharp, and every part of the furface fo rough as to grind away whatever is rubbed against it, even with the gentleft motion. In this fituation all the fails were immediately taken in, and the boats hoifted out to examine the depth of water round the ship: we foon discovered that our fears had not aggravated our misfortune, and that the vessel had been lifted over a ledge of the rock, and lay in a hollow within it: in fome places there was from three to four fathom, and in others not fo many feet. The ship lay with her head to the N. E.; and at the diftance of about thirty yards on the ftarboard fide, the water deepened to eight, ten, and twelve fathom. As foon as the long-boat was out, we ftruck our yards and topmafts, and carried out the stream anchor on the ftarboard bow, got the coasting anchor and cable into the boat, and were going 1770. June. to carry it out the fame way; but upon founding a fecond time round the ship, the water was Sunday 19. found to be deepest aftern: the anchor therefore was carried out from the ftarboard quarter inftead of the ftarboard bow, that is, from the ftern instead of the head, and having taken ground, our utmost force, was applied to the capftern, hoping that if the anchor did not come home, the fhip would be got off, but to our great misfortune and disappointment we could not move her: during all this time the continued to beat with great violence against the rock, fo that it was with the utmost difficulty that we kept upon our legs; and to complete the fcene of diftrefs, we faw by the light of the moon the fheathing boards from the bottom of the veffel floating away all round her, and at last her false keel, so that every moment was making way for the fea to rush in which was to fwallow us up. We had now no chance but to lighten her, and we had loft the opportunity of doing that to the greatest advantage, for unhappily we went on fhore juft at high water, and by this time it had confiderably fallen, fo that after fhe fhould be lightened fo as to draw as much less water as the water had funk, we should be but in the fame fituation as at firft; and the only alleviation of this circumftance was, that as the tide ebbed the ship fettled to the rocks, and was not beaten against them with fo much violence. We |