es, and then to the N.W. We followed its
direction, and as we advanced to N.W., raised more land, which seemed to be
connected with what we had seen before; so that Mr Gilbert was mistaken,
and did not see the extremity of the coast. At five o'clock this land bore
W. by N. 1/2 N., distant twenty miles; but what we could see of the reef
trended in the direction of N.W. by N.

Having hauled the wind to the starboard tack, and spent the night plying,
on the 14th, at sun-rise, the island of Balabea bore S. 6 E., and the land
seen the preceding night W., but the reef still trended N.W., along which
we steered with a light breeze at E.S.E. At noon we observed in latitude
19 deg. 28', longitude from Observatory Isle 27' W. We had now no sight of
Balabea; and the other land, that is, the N.W. part of it, bore W. by S.
1/2 S., but we were not sure if this was one continued coast, or separate
islands. For though some partitions were seen, from space to space, which
made it look like the latter, a multitude of shoals rendered a nearer
approach to it exceedingly dangerous, if not impracticable. In the
afternoon, with a fine breeze at E.S.E., we ranged the outside of these
shoals, which we found to trend in the direction of N.W. by W., N.W. by N.,
and N.N.E. At three o'clock we passed a low sandy isle, lying on the outer
edge of the reef, in latitude 19 deg. 25', and in the direction of N.E. from
the north-westernmost land, six or seven leagues distant. So much as we
could see of this space was strewed with shoals, seemingly detached from
each other; and the channel leading in amongst them appeared to be on the
S.E. side of the sandy isle; at least, there was a space where the sea did
not break. At sun-set we could but just see the land, which bore S.W. by
S., about ten leagues distant. A clear horizon produced the discovery of no
land to the westward of this direction; the reef too trended away W. by N.
1/2 N., and seemed to terminate in a point which was seen from the mast-
head. Thus every thing conspired to make us believe that we should soon get
round these shoals; and with these flattering expectations we hauled the
wind, which was at E.N.E., and spent the night making short boards.

Next morning at sun-rise, seeing neither land nor breakers, we bore away
N.W. by W., and two hours after saw the reef extending N.W. farther than
the eye could reach; no land was to be seen. It was therefore probable that
we had passed its N.W. ext