the coast, N.N.W. From what we had
observed of the tide during the night, it is plain that the flood came
from the N.W., whereas the preceding day, and several days before, it
came from the S.E.; nor was this the first or even second time that we
had remarked the same thing. At sun-rise this morning, we found the
variation to be 6 deg. 45' E.; and in steering along the shore, between the
island and the main, at the distance of about two leagues from the main,
and three or four from the island, our soundings were regular from
twelve to nine fathom; but about eleven o'clock in the forenoon we were
again embarrassed with shoal water, having at one time not more than
three fathom, yet we got clear without casting anchor. At noon we were
about two leagues from the main, and four from the islands without us.
Our latitude by observation was 20 deg. 56', and a high promontory, which I
named _Cape Hillsborough_, bore W. 1/2 N., distant seven miles. The land
here is diversified by mountains, hills, plains, and valleys, and seems
to be well clothed with herbage and wood: The islands which lie parallel
to the coast, and from five to eight or ten miles distant, are of
various height and extent; scarcely any of them are more than five
leagues in circumference, and many are not four miles: Besides this
chain of islands, which lies at a distance from the coast, there are
others much less, which lie under the land, from which we saw smoke
rising in different places. We continued to steer along the shore at the
distance of about two leagues, with regular soundings from nine to ten
fathom. At sun-set, the farthest point of the main bore N. 48 W. and to
the northward of this lay some high land, which I took to be an island,
and of which the north-west point bore 41 W.; but not being sure of a
passage, I came to an anchor about eight o'clock in the evening, in ten
fathom water, with a muddy bottom. About ten we had a tide setting to
the northward, and at two it had fallen nine feet; after this it began
to rise, and the flood came from the northward, in the direction of the
islands which lay out to sea; a plain indication that there was no
passage to the N.W. This however had not appeared at day-break, when we
got under sail and stood to the N.W. At eight o'clock in the morning, we
discovered low land quite across what we took for an opening, which
proved to be a bay, about five or six leagues deep; upon this we hauled
our wind to the eastwar