, and we were obliged to drop
another; which was the last we possessed, besides a small stream anchor
that was too light to use, excepting in a calm.

February 13.

The next morning being fine, and favourable for another search after our
lost anchor (the recovery of which from our last night's misfortune had
become of very great consequence) we bore up along the shore, and soon
arrived at the spot; but after some time spent in the search, without
success, we were at last obliged to relinquish the attempt, and gave up
all hope of ever finding it.

February 14.

We then returned into the gulf to prosecute its examination, but as
usual, the wind fell, and the only progress we made was by the assistance
of the flood-tide, which ran until sunset; a fresh breeze then sprung up,
and the night was passed under sail. At daylight the following morning
the cutter was about four miles from the western shore, but the day was
so calm that very little progress was made. The thermometer indicated a
temperature of 97 degrees, which, from the absence of the sea-breeze, and
from our not having an awning to protect us from the sun's rays, was
almost insufferable; and although our crew were happily in good health,
yet my fears were momentarily alive lest any should be taken ill. A
land-wind at night enabled us to make some progress, and before dark we
had reached twenty-five miles into the opening without seeing anything
like its termination; the western side still trended in a southerly
direction, losing itself in distance, and bore the appearance of being an
island.

February 15.

By the next day we descried some hills of peaked shape to the southward,
which was the only indication we had of the termination of the gulf: to
the eastward the islands were very numerous and low; but to the
South-East the land was so continuous as to impress us with the idea of
its being the continent. We steered towards it to satisfy our doubts but
the water shoaled and prevented our approaching it near enough to
ascertain the fact. The gulf was here so much narrower, and the bottom so
uneven and rocky, that an anchorage was now of material importance, but
our poverty in anchors made me fearful of risking our last upon a bottom
of the least questionable nature. Before dark however we were fortunate
in finding a bay on the western shore, in which the anchor was dropped in
three fathoms muddy bottom, at one mile from the shore.

The discovery of this a