; and at twenty
miles farther to the eastward sounded again on the same depth.

February 6.

At eight o'clock the next morning, having steered through the night
North-East by East, we were in ninety fathoms, sand, broken shells, and
large stones.

February 8.

On the morning of the 8th the land was seen in the South-East and soon
afterwards the brig passed round Cape Leveque at the distance of a mile
and a half. On our way towards Point Swan we saw from the masthead a line
of strong tide-ripplings, extending from the point in a North-West by
West direction; within which we at first attempted to pass but, finding
that they were connected to the point, hauled up to steer through them
where they seemed to be the least dangerous. As we approached the noise
was terrific and, although we were not more than two minutes amongst the
breakers, yet the shocks of the sea were so violent as to make me fear
for the safety of our masts. A smaller vessel would perhaps have been
swamped; for although the sea was in other parts quite smooth and the
wind light, yet the water broke over the bows and strained the brig
considerably.

We then steered between Point Swan and two rocky islands lying five miles
from the shore over a space which, at our last visit, appeared to be
occupied by an extensive reef, but we were then probably deceived by
tide-ripplings.

It was my intention to have brought up under the lee of the point, where
Dampier describes his having anchored in twenty-nine fathoms clear sandy
ground; but upon rounding the projection, the wind suddenly fell and,
after a light squall from South-West we had a dead calm; the depth was
thirty fathoms coral bottom and therefore not safe to anchor upon; this
was unfortunate for the sudden defection of the wind prevented our
hauling into the bay out of the tide, which was evidently running with
considerable rapidity and drifting us, without our having the means of
preventing it, towards a cluster of small rocks and islands through which
we could not discover any outlet, and which were so crowded that in the
dangerous predicament in which we found ourselves placed they bore a
truly awful and terrific appearance. At this time I was at my usual post,
the masthead, directing the steerage of the vessel; but as the brig was
drifting forward by a rapid sluice of tide towards some low rocks, about
a quarter of a mile off, that were not more than two feet above the
water's edge, and upon whi