azy that we could see nothing distinctly upon it, except a ridge of
high hills, lying not far from the sea, and parallel to the coast, which
in this place stretches S. by W. and N. by E. and seemed to end in a
high bluff point to the southward. By eight in the evening we were
abreast of this point; but it being then dark, and I not knowing which
way the land trended, we brought-to for the night. At this time, the
point bore west, and was distant about five miles: Our depth of water
was thirty-seven fathom, and the bottom consisted of small pebbles.

At day-break, having made sail, the point bore north, distant three
leagues, and we now found that the land trended from it S.W. by W. as
far as we could see. This point I named Cape Saunders, in honour of Sir
Charles. Our latitude was 45 deg. 35' S., and longitude 189 deg. 4' W. By the
latitude, and the angles that are made by the coast, this point will be
sufficiently known; there is, however, about three or four leagues to
the south-west of it, and very near the shore, a remarkable saddle-hill,
which is a good direction to it on that quarter. From one league to four
leagues north of Cape Saunders, the shore forms two or three bays, in
which there appeared to be good anchorage, and effectual shelter from
the S.W. westerly, and N. westerly winds; but my desire of getting to
the southward, in order to ascertain whether this country was an island
or a continent, prevented my putting into any of them.

We kept at a small distance from the shore all this morning, with the
wind at S.W., and had a very distinct view of it: It is of a moderate
height, and the surface is broken by many hills which are green and
woody; but we saw no appearance of inhabitants. At noon, Cape Saunders
bore N. 30 W. distant about four leagues. We had variable winds and
calms till five o'clock in the evening, when it fixed at W.S.W. and soon
blew so hard that it put us past our topsail, and split the foresail
all to pieces: After getting another to the yard, we continued to stand
to the southward under two courses; and at six the next morning, the
southermost land in sight bore W. by N. and Cape Saunders N. by W.
distant eight leagues: At noon, it bore N. 20 W. fourteen leagues; and
our latitude by observation was 46 deg. 36'. The gale continued, with heavy
squalls and a large hollow sea all the afternoon; and at seven in the
evening, we lay-to under our foresail, with the ship's head to the
southward: A