deepened again.

As the night advanced, the wind freshened from the South-East and
rendered our situation extremely unsafe. When the tide made against the
wind the swell rose and caused our only remaining anchor to drag; more
cable was instantly veered; but as the vessel did not bring up and we
were drifting towards the reef no alternative was left but to weigh and
keep under sail; which, during a long and dark night, and near so
extensive a reef, was running great risk. Our loss of anchors was now
much felt for no sooner were we under sail than the wind died away; and
from the heavy swell the cutter was so ungovernable that the vessel twice
missed stays in endeavouring to tack in shoal water; fortunately the
water deepened again on standing on, or nothing could have prevented our
going on shore. After plying to windward for an hour the weather tide
ceased; when the disadvantage of a lee tide was counterbalanced by
smoother water and a steadier breeze. We passed a very anxious night, but
without encountering any accident.

August 2.

With daybreak the breeze freshened; and at noon we were near the small
easternmost islet of the group. The afternoon was passed in steering
round the northern side of the island; but before sunset we had to alter
the course twice for shoal water, being at one time within half a mile of
a reef that was nearly dry.

During this night the cutter was kept under weigh.

August 3.

And at daylight was considerably to the westward of our reckoning from
the effect of a current. The land to the westward of the Crocodile
Islands trends deeply in, forming a bay in which two low wooded islands
were noticed. As we steered into it the water shoaled; and as there was
nothing to induce our persevering we steered round the next point of
land, and anchored at sunset to leeward of a shoal projecting in a
North-West direction from the point. The coast falls back round this
point and forms an unsheltered bay seven or eight miles deep.

August 4.

The following morning our course was held parallel with the shores of the
bay towards a point of land which afterwards proved to be the eastern
head of a deep opening.

To the northward of this point was an island and farther on to seaward a
dry sandbank. As we approached the point we were obliged to haul off for
there was evidently a shoal communication between it and the island, and
every appearance of its being connected with the sandbank in the offing.