saw from the mast-head low land, which we took to be Sand-
down Point.[102] We stood in toward the land, till half-past five, when we
hauled our wind to the southward. At this time we saw a number of Japanese
vessels, close in with the land, several seemingly engaged in fishing, and
others standing along shore. We now discovered to the westward a remarkably
high mountain, with a round top, rising far inland. There is no high ground
near it, the coast being of a moderate elevation, and, as far as we could
judge, from the haziness of the horizon, much broken by small inlets. But
to the southward of the hummock island before mentioned, there appeared, at
a great distance, within the country, a ridge of hills, stretching in a
direction toward the mountain, and probably joining with it. As this is the
most remarkable hill on the coast, we could have wished to have settled its
situation exactly; but having only had this single view, were obliged to be
contented with such accuracy as our circumstances would allow. Its latitude
therefore we conceive to be 35 deg. 20', its longitude, estimated by its
distance from the ships, at this time fifteen leagues, 140 deg. 26'.

As the Dutch charts make the coast of Japan extend about ten leagues to the
S.W. of White Point, at eight we tacked, and stood off to the eastward, in
order to weather the point. At midnight, we again tacked to the S.W.,
expecting to fall in with the coast to the southward, but were surprised,
in the morning at eight, to see the hummock, at the distance only of three
leagues, bearing W.N.W. We began, at first, to doubt the evidence of our
senses, and afterward to suspect some deception from a similarity of land;
but, at noon, we found ourselves, by observation, to be actually in
latitude 35 deg. 43', at a time when our reckonings gave us 34 deg. 48'. So that,
during the eight hours in which we supposed we had made a course of nine
leagues to the S.W., we had in reality been carried eight leagues from the
position we left, in a direction diametrically opposite; which made, on the
whole, in that short space of time, a difference in our reckoning of
seventeen leagues. From this error, we calculated, that the current had set
to the N.E. by N., at the rate of at least five miles an hour. Our
longitude, at this time, was 141 deg. 16'.

The weather having now the same threatening appearance as on the 29th of
October, which was followed by so sudden and severe a gale, and