e all the others we had lately seen;
only with this difference, that these were broader, and the hole in
which the man sits was wider than in any I had before met with. Our
boats returning from sounding seemed to alarm them, so that they all
left us sooner than probably they would otherwise have done.

It was the 22d in the evening before we got clear of these shoals, and
then I durst not venture to steer to the westward in the night, but
spent it off Cape Newenham; and at day-break, next morning, steered
to the N.W., ordering the Discovery to lead. Before we had run two
leagues, our depth of water decreased to six fathoms. Fearing, if
we continued this course, that we should find less and less water, I
hauled to the southward; the wind being at east, a fresh breeze. This
course brought us gradually. into eighteen fathoms, and having that
depth, I ventured to steer a little westerly; and afterward west, when
we at last found twenty-six fathoms water.

On the 24th at noon, we were, by observation in the latitude of 58 deg.
7', and in the longitude of 194 deg. 22'. Three leagues to the westward
of this station we had twenty-eight fathoms water, and then steered
W.N.W., the water gradually deepening to thirty-four fathoms. I
would have steered more northerly, but the wind having veered in that
direction, I could not.

The 25th, in the evening, having a very thick fog, and but little
wind, we dropped anchor in thirty fathoms water. Our latitude was now
58 deg. 29', and our longitude 191 deg. 37'. At six, the next morning, the
weather clearing up a little, we weighed, and, with a small breeze
at east, steered north, our soundings being from twenty-eight to
twenty-five fathoms. After running nine leagues upon this course,
the wind returned back to the north, which obliged us to steer more
westerly.

The weather continued for the most part foggy till toward noon on the
28th, when we had a few hours clear sunshine; during which we made
several lunar observations. The mean result of them, reduced to
noon, when the latitude was 59 deg. 55', gave 190 deg. 6' longitude; and the
time-keeper gave 189 deg. 59'. The variation of the compass was 18 deg. 40'
E. Continuing our westerly course, the water having now deepened to
thirty-six fathoms, at four o'clock next morning we discovered land,
bearing N.W. by W., six leagues distant. We stood toward it till
half-past ten, when we tacked in twenty-four fathoms water, being at
this tim