und ourselves to be in in 28 deg. 13' S.
Lat. We therefore ran somewhat more to the south again, in order to reach
the latitude Of 28 deg. 20' exactly; the wind was south-west with a heavy
swell of the sea. In the afternoon, two hours before sunset we again
sighted the rocks, which we estimated to be still two miles from us. We
cast the lead in 100 fathom fine sandy bottom, but when we had come to
half a mile's distance, we sounded 30 fathom foul rocky bottom. In the
night we shaped our course two points more to seaward, and in the
daywatch made for the land again.
{Page 60}
On the 13th do., three hours after sunrise we again sighted breakers
ahead, and having made up our reckoning, we found we had lost a mile
north, since the wind had been S.S.E. This proved to be the northernmost
extremity of the Abrolhos. Therefore, since I found we always came too
high or too low, and it was very dangerous to touch at them from the
outside owing to the high swells and foul bottom, I resolved to keep
tacking off the outermost shoal. After this we went over again nearly to
weatherward with a S.S.E. wind, keeping an eastern course. When we had
got inside a small distance, we directly had a fine sandy bottom in from
30 to 35 fathom; at noon we were in 28 deg. S. Lat., shortly after we again
saw the mainland of the Southland. In the evening, as it began to blow
hard, we came to anchor at about 2 miles' distance from the land in 30
fathom, fine bottom.
On the 14th do. there was a stiff gale from the S.S.E., so that we could
not get in our anchor, and remained here all day.
On the 15th do. the wind was still equally strong, but towards noon it
got somewhat calmer, so that we could get in our anchor. At noon we were
in 27 deg. 54' S. Lat. We kept tacking the whole day with a S.S.E. wind, in
order to gain the south, and at night found we had gained two miles. When
it got dark, we again came to anchor in 30 fathom fine bottom.
On the 16th do. at daybreak we again weighed anchor; the wind being
W.S.W., we went over nearly to southward. At noon we were in
Latitude...degrees...minutes [*]. The wind then turned first to the west
and afterwards to the north, so that we could sail on a south-west
course; towards the evening we saw the rocks on which our good ship
Batavia had miscarried, and I was sure I saw the high Island, but our
steersmen contended that it was other land. Two hours after sunset we
again came to anchor in 26 fathom fine
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