f 3 or 4 leagues long, as is seen
in the plan, but it appearing barren I did not strive to go nearer it;
and the rather because the winds would not permit us to do it without
much trouble, and at the openings the water was generally shoal. I
therefore made no farther attempts in this south-west and south part of
the bay, but steered away to eastward to see if there was any land that
way, for as yet we had seen none there. On the 12th in the morning we
passed by the north point of that land and were confirmed in the
persuasion of its being an island by seeing an opening to the east of it,
as we had done on the west. Having fair weather, a small gale, and smooth
water, we stood further on in the bay to see what land was on the east of
it. Our soundings at first were 7 fathom, which held so a great while,
but at length it decreased to 6. Then we saw the land right ahead that in
the plan makes the east of the bay. We could not come near it with the
ship, having but shoal water; and it being dangerous lying there, and the
land extraordinary low, very unlikely to have fresh water (though it had
a few trees on it, seemingly mangroves) and much of it probably covered
at high-water, I stood out again that afternoon, deepening the water, and
before night anchored in 8 fathom, clean white sand, about the middle of
the bay. The next day we got up our anchor; and that afternoon came to an
anchor once more near 2 islands and a shoal of coral rocks that face the
bay. Here I scrubbed my ship; and, finding it very improbable I should
get anything further here, I made the best of my way out to sea again,
sounding all the way: but, finding by the shallowness of the water that
there was no going out to sea to the east of the two islands that face
the bay, nor between them, I returned to the west entrance, going out by
the same way I came in at, only on the east instead of the west side of
the small shoal to be seen in the plan; in which channel we had 10, 12,
and 13 fathom water, still deepening upon us till we were out at sea. The
day before we came out I sent a boat ashore to the most northerly of the
2 islands, which is the least of them, catching many small fish in the
meanwhile with hook and line. The boat's crew returning told me that the
isle produces nothing but a sort of green, short, hard, prickly grass,
affording neither wood nor fresh water; and that a sea broke between the
2 islands, a sign that the water was shallow. They saw a