low water that I could see, but I verily
believe that there is water enough for any ship to go in on the south
side, for there cannot be so great a lack of water, but must needs
scoure a channel away at the ebb deep enough for shipping to go in. I
would have had them stood upon a wind all night, but they told me they
were not come out to go upon discovery. We saw likewise another island
by this that night, which made me think them to be the Sibble D'wards."

[Footnote 27: Bougainville, who had the command of the expedition here
referred to, says, "The same illusion which made Hawkins, Woods Rogers,
and others believe that these isles were covered with wood, acted
likewise upon my fellow voyagers. We were surprised when we landed, to
see that what we took for woods as we sailed along the coast, was
nothing but bushes of a tall rush, standing very close together. The
bottom of its stalks being dried, got the colour of a dead leaf to the
height of about five feet; and from thence springs the tuft of rushes,
which crown this stalk; so that at a distance, these stalks together
have the appearance of a wood of middling height. These rushes only grow
near the sea side, and on little isles; the mountains on the main land
are, in some parts, covered all over with heath, which are easily
mistaken for bushes."--Forster's Translation, where a pretty interesting
account of these islands (called Malouines) is to be found.--E.]

"The same night we steered our course againe west south west, which was
but our south west, the compasse having two and twenty degrees variation
eastwardly, keeping that course till we came in the latitude of three
and fifty degrees."

In both the printed and manuscript account, this land is said to lie in
latitude forty-seven, to be situated to the westward of the ship when
first discovered, to appear woody, to have an harbour where a great
number of ships might ride in safety, and to be frequented by
innumerable birds. It appears also by both accounts, that the weather
prevented his going on shore, and that he steered from it W.S.W. till he
came into latitude fifty-three: There can therefore be little doubt but
that Cowley gave the name of Pepys's Island after he came home, to what
he really supposed to be the island of Sebald de Wert, for which it is
not difficult to assign several reasons; and though the supposition of a
mistake of the figures does not appear to be well grounded, yet, there
being no land