e most imminent danger; having had breakers continually under our lee,
and at a very little distance from us. We owed our safety to the
interposition of Providence, a good look-out, and the very brisk manner in
which the ship was managed; for, as we were standing to the north, the
people on the lee-gangway and forecastle saw breakers under the lee-bow,
which we escaped by quickly tacking the ship.

I was now almost tired of a coast which I could no longer explore, but at
the risk of losing the ship, and ruining the whole voyage. I was, however,
determined not to leave it, till I knew what trees those were which had
been the subject of our speculation; especially as they appeared to be of a
sort useful to shipping, and had not been seen any where but in the
southern part of this land. With this view, after making a trip to the
south, to weather the shoals under our lee, we stood to the north, in hopes
of finding anchorage under some of the islets on which these trees grow. We
were stopped by eight o'clock by the shoals which lie extended between the
Isle of Pines and Queen Charlotte's Foreland; and found soundings off them
in fifty-five, forty, and thirty-six fathoms, a fine sandy bottom. The
nearer we came to these shoals, the more we saw of them, and we were not
able to say if there was any passage between the two lands.

Being now but a few miles to windward of the low isles lying off the
Foreland, mentioned on the 25th and 26th, I bore down to the one next to
us. As we drew near it, I perceived that it was unconnected with the
neighbouring shoals, and that it is probable we might get to an anchor
under its lee or west side. We therefore stood on, being conducted by an
officer at the mast-head; and after hauling round the point of the reef
which surrounds the isle, we attempted to ply to windward, in order to get
nearer the shore. Another reef to the north confined us to a narrow
channel, through which ran a current against us, that rendered this attempt
fruitless; so that we were obliged to anchor in thirty-nine fathoms water,
the bottom fine coral sand; the isle bearing W. by N. one mile distant. As
soon as this was done, we hoisted out a boat, in which I went on ashore,
accompanied by the botanists. We found the tall trees to be a kind of
spruce pine, very proper for spars, of which we were in want. After making
this discovery, I hastened on board in order to have more time after
dinner, when I landed again with two