id not enable us
to determine. At noon, it extended from N.W. to W., the nearest land being
about thirteen leagues distant, beyond which the coast seemed to run in a
westerly direction. The latitude, by observation, was 36 deg. 41', longitude
142 deg. 6'. The point to the northward, which was supposed to be near the
southernmost land seen the day before, we conjectured to be Cape de Kennis,
and the break to the southward of this point, to be the mouth of the
river on which the town of Gissima is said to be situated. The next cape is
probably that called in the Dutch charts Boomtje's Point; and the
southernmost, off which we were abreast at noon, we suppose to be near Low
Point,[100] and that we were at too great distance to see the low land, in
which it probably terminates, to the eastward.

In the afternoon, the wind veering round to the N.E., we stood to the
southward, at the distance of about eighteen leagues from the shore, trying
for soundings as we went along, but finding none with one hundred and
fifteen fathoms of line. At two the next morning, it shifted to W.,
attended with rain and lightning, and blowing in heavy squalls. During the
course of the day, we had several small birds of a brown plumage,
resembling linnets, flying about us, which had been forced off the land by
the strong westerly gales; but toward the evening, the wind coming to the
N.W., we shaped our coarse, along with them, to W.S.W., in order to regain
the coast. In the morning of the 1st of November, the wind again shifted to
S.E., and bringing with it fair weather, we got forty-two sets of distances
of the moon from the sun and stars, with four different quadrants, each set
consisting of six observations; these agreeing pretty nearly with each
other, fix our situation at noon the same day, with great accuracy, in
longitude 141 deg. 32'; the latitude, by observation, was 35 deg. 17', We found an
error of latitude, in our reckonings of the preceding day, of eight miles,
and in this day's of seventeen; from whence, and from our being much more
to the eastward than we expected, we concluded, that there had been a
strong current from the S.W.

At two in the afternoon, we again made the land to the westward, at the
distance of about twelve leagues; the southernmost land in sight, which we
supposed to be White Point,[101], bore W.S.W. 1/2 W.; a hummock to the
northward, which had the appearance of being an island, bore N.N.W. 1/2 W.,
within which we