ich
was hardly a league from us. We sounded, but found no bottom with a line of
two hundred fathoms. I ordered the pinnace and cutter to be hoisted out to
tow the ship, but they were of little use against so great a swell. We,
however, found that the ship did not draw near the reef so fast as might be
expected; and at seven o'clock a light air at N.N.E. kept her head to the
sea, but it lasted no longer than midnight, when it was succeeded by a dead
calm.

At day-break on the 16th we had no sight of the reef; and at eleven, a
breeze springing up at S.S.W., we hoisted in the boats, and made sail to
S.E. At noon we observed in 19 deg. 35' S., which was considerably more to the
south than we expected, and shewed that a current or tide had been in our
favour all night, and accounted for our getting so unexpectedly clear of
the shoals. At two o'clock p.m. we had again a calm which lasted till nine,
when it was succeeded by a light air from E.N.E. and E., with which we
advanced but slowly.

On the 17th at noon, we observed in latitude 19 deg. 54', when the isle of
Balabea bore S. 68 deg. W., ten and a half leagues distant. We continued to
ply, with variable light winds, between N.E. and S.E., without meeting with
any thing remarkable till the 20th at noon, when Cape Colnett bore
N. 78 deg. W., distant six leagues. From this cape the land extended round by
the south to E.S.E. till it was lost in the horizon, and the country
appeared with many hills and vallies. Latitude observed 20 deg. 41', longitude
made from Observatory Isle 1 deg. 8' E. We stood in shore with a light breeze
at east till sun-set, when we were between two and three leagues off. The
coast extended from S. 42 deg. 1/2 E. to N. 59 deg. W. Two small islets lay without
this last direction, distant from us four or five miles; some others lay
between us and the shore, and to the east, where they seemed to be
connected by reefs, in which appeared some openings from space to space.
The country was mountainous, and had much the same aspect as about Balade.
On one of the western small isles was an elevation like a tower; and over a
low neck of land within the isle were seen many other elevations,
resembling the masts of a fleet of ships.

Next day at sun-rise, after having stood off all night with a light breeze
at S.E., we found ourselves about six leagues from the coast; and in this
situation we were kept by a calm till ten in the evening, when we got a
faint land-b