in dust and ashes."--E.]

Hitherto we had safely navigated this dangerous coast, where the sea in
all parts conceals shoals that suddenly project from the shore, and
rocks that rise 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
distinguish the several parts of the country that we saw, are memorials
of distress; 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 l6 deg. 6' S. and
longitude 214 deg. 39' W. We steered along the shore 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 deg. S. and about six or seven leagues from the main. At
six in the evening, the northermost land in sight bore N. by W. 1/2 W.
and two low woody islands, which some of us took to be rocks above
water, bore N. 1/2 W. At this time we shortened sail and hauled off
shore E.N.E. and N.E. by E. close upon a wind; for it was my design to
stretch off all night, as well to avoid the danger we saw a-head, as to
see whether any islands lay in the offing, especially as we were now
near the latitude assigned to the islands which were discovered by
Quiros, and which some geographers, for what reason I know not, have
thought fit to join to this land. We had the advantage of a fine breeze,
and a cleat moonlight night, and in standing off from six till near nine
o'clock, we deepened our water from fourteen to twenty-one fathom; but
while we were at supper it suddenly shoaled, and we fell into twelve,
ten, and eight fathom, within the space of a few minutes. I immediately
ordered every body to their station, and all was ready to put about and
come to an anchor; but meeting at the next cast of the lead with deep
water again, we concluded that we had gone over the tail of the shoals
which we had seen at sun-set, and that all danger was past. 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 shallowed at once from twenty to
seventeen fathom, and before the lead could be cast again, the ship
struck, and remained immoveable, except by the heaving