en miles from the foreland. It was one of
those which are generally surrounded with shoals and breakers. At the same
time a round hill was seen bearing S. 24 deg. E, twelve leagues distant. During
night, having had variable light winds, we advanced but little either way.

On the 25th, about ten o'clock a.m., having got a fair breeze at E.S.E., we
stood to the S.S.W., in hopes of getting round the foreland; but, as we
drew near, we perceived more low isles, beyond the one already mentioned,
which at last appeared to be connected by breakers, extending towards the
foreland, and seeming to join the shore. We stood on till half past three
o'clock, when we saw, from the deck, rocks, just peeping above the surface
of the sea, on the shoal above-mentioned. It was now time to alter the
course, as the day was too far spent to look for a passage near the shore,
and we could find no bottom to anchor in during the night. We therefore
stood to the south to look for a passage without the small isles. We had a
fine breeze at E.S.E., but it lasted no longer than five o'clock, when it
fell to a dead calm. Having sounded, a line of 170 fathoms did not reach
the bottom, though we were but a little way from the shoals, which, instead
of following the coast to S.W., took a S.E. direction towards the hill we
had seen the preceding evening, and seemed to point out to us that it was
necessary to go round that land. At this time the most advanced point on
the main bore S. 68 deg. W., distant nine or ten leagues. About seven o'clock
we got a light breeze at north, which enabled us to steer out E.S.E., and
to spend the night with less anxiety. On some of the low isles were many of
those elevations already mentioned. Every one was now satisfied they were
trees, except our philosophers, who still maintained that they were
basaltes.

About day-break on the 26th, the wind having shifted to S.S.W., we
stretched to S.E. for the hill before mentioned. It belonged to an island
which at noon extended from S. 16 deg. E. to S. 7 deg. W., distant six leagues.
Latitude observed 22 deg. 16' S. In the p.m. the wind freshened, and veering to
S.S.E., we stretched to the east, till two a.m., on the 27th, when we
tacked and stood to S.W., with hopes of weathering the island; but we fell
about two miles short of our expectations, and had to tack about a mile
from the east side of the island, the extremes bearing from N.W. by N. to
S.W., the hill W., and some low isle