found it was a bending in the coast, and
therefore bore up, to go round Cape St Louis.[107] Soon after, land
opened off the cape, in the direction of S. 53 deg. E., and appeared to be a
point at a considerable distance; for the trending of the coast from the
cape was more southerly. We also saw several rocks and islands to the
eastward of the above directions, the most distant of which was about
seven leagues from the cape, bearing S. 88 deg. E.[108] We had no sooner got
off the cape, than we observed the coast, to the southward, to be much
indented by projecting points and bays; so that we now made sure of soon
finding a good harbour. Accordingly, we had not run a mile farther,
before we discovered one behind the cape, into which we began to ply;
but after making one board, it fell calm, and we anchored at the
entrance in forty-five fathoms water, the bottom black sand; as did the
Discovery soon after. I immediately dispatched Mr Bligh, the master, in
a boat to sound the harbour; who, on his return, reported it to be safe
and commodious, with good anchorage in every part; and great plenty of
fresh-water, seals, penguins, and other birds on the shore; but not a
stick of wood. While we lay at anchor, we observed that the flood tide
came from the S.E., running two knots, at least, in an hour.

[Footnote 107: Cape Francois, as already observed.--D.]

[Footnote 108: The observations of the French, round Cape Francois,
remarkably coincide with Captain Cook's in this paragraph; and the rocks
and islands here mentioned by him, also appear upon their chart.--D.]

At day-break, in the morning of the 25th, we weighed with a gentle
breeze at W,; and having wrought into the harbour, to within a quarter
of a mile of the sandy beach at its head, we anchored in eight fathoms
water, the bottom a fine dark sand. The Discovery did not get in till
two o'clock in the afternoon, when Captain Clerke informed me, that he
had narrowly escaped being driven on the S. point of the harbour, his
anchor having started before they had time to shorten in the cable. This
obliged them to set sail, and drag the anchor after them, till they had
room to heave it up, and then they found one of its palms was broken
off.

As soon as we had anchored, I ordered all the boats to be hoisted out,
the ship to be moored with a kedge-anchor, and the water-casks to be got
ready to send on shore. In the mean time I landed, to look for the most
convenient spot where