the day before: In the afternoon we found the variation, by several
azimuths and the amplitude, to be 15 deg. 10' E. On the 7th at noon, we were
in latitude 47 deg. 6' S. and had made twelve miles easting during the last
twenty-four hours. We stood to the westward the remainder of this day,
and all the next till sun-set, when the extremes of the land bore from
N. by E. to W. distant about seven or eight leagues: In this situation
our depth of water was fifty-five fathom, and the variation by amplitude
16 deg. 29' E. The wind now veered from the N. to the W., and as we had fine
weather, and moon-light, we kept standing close upon the wind to the
S.W. all night. At four in the morning, we had sixty fathom water; and
at day-light, we discovered under our bow a ledge of rocks, extending
from S. by W. to W. by S. upon which the sea broke very high: They were
not more than three quarters of a mile distant, 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 soon after coming to the
northward, enabled us to get clear of all. Our soundings, while we were
passing within the ledge, were from thirty-five to forty-seven fathom,
with a rocky bottom.

This ledge lies S.E. six leagues from the southermost part of the land,
and S.E. by E. from some remarkable hills which stand near the shore:
About three leagues to the northward of it, there is another ledge,
which lies full three leagues from the shore, and on which the sea broke
in a dreadful surf. As we passed these rocks to the north in the night,
and discovered the others under our bow at break of day, it is manifest
that our danger was imminent, and our escape critical in the highest
degree: From the situation of these rocks, so well adapted to catch
unwary strangers, I called them the _Traps_. Our latitude at noon was
47 deg. 26' S. The land in sight, which had the appearance of an island,
extended from N.E. by N. to N.W. by W. and seemed to be about five
leagues distant from the main; the eastermost ledge of rocks bore S.S.E.
distant one league and a half, and the northermost N.E. 1/2 E. distant
about three leagues. This land is high and barren, with nothing upon it
but a few straggling shrubs, for not a single tree was to be seen; it
was however remarkable for a number of white patches which I took to be
marble, as they reflected the