an Diemen's Land, and
so well to the southward as I supposed we were, I had no doubt of
being able to cross it, and, availing myself of this southerly
wind, to run along the coast to the northward, and reach Port
Jackson in a few days; but as we drew near the meridian of the
south cape, the gale increased to a mere tempest, attended with
thick hazy weather, and a most astonishing high sea; this brought
us under a reefed fore-sail, balanced mizzen, and the three storm
stay-sails.

At day-light on the morning of the 21st, the fore, main, and
mizzen stay-sails were all split by the violence of the wind; by
this accident we were reduced to the reefed fore-sail and
balanced mizzen; and for some time we were under the necessity of
handing the fore-sail, the gale still continuing to increase
rather than abate; and inclining to the eastward of south, was in
our situation at this time particularly unfortunate: for we were
now so far advanced to the eastward as to hope that in a few
hours we should have been able to have made a fair wind of it, if
it had continued to the southward.

I still flattered myself, that we were so far to the
southward, as not to have a doubt of passing some distance to the
southward of Rock Swilley, and consequently at a sufficient
distance from the south cape, which is the southern point or
extremity of this promontory; for this rock, or ledge of rocks,
is not less than fifteen miles from the south cape, and we were
now about its meridian, both by the longitude carried on from the
last lunar observations, which were taken five days before, and
by our time-keeper, from which our situation had been determined
since these observations, as long as the sun was to be seen in
any part of the day: it now blew a most violent gale of wind,
with thick hazy weather.

It may not be improper here to observe, that three days had
now elapsed without a sight of the sun during the day, or a star
during the night, from which we could _exactly_ determine
our latitude; but as every allowance had been made for the
drifting of the ship to leeward, under a very low sail, and an
exceeding heavy sea, and for every other disadvantage attending
such a situation; there remained not a doubt with me, or any
officer on board, but that we were near half a degree to the
southward of the south cape, and as the distance from west to
east, across this promontory, is not more than a degree and a
half of longitude, or about twenty or