40' N. we
steered W.S.W, on purpose to make Cape Sumbor on the coast of China.
The sea was very rough, and the wind so strong that it blew our main
course out of the bolt ropes. The 9th, in lat. 28 deg. 23', we sounded and
had forty-nine to forty-five fathoms on an oozy bottom. The weather was
clear, yet we could not see land. The 11th we had ground in forty-nine,
forty-three, thirty-eight, thirty-seven, and thirty fathoms, the water
being very green, and as yet no land to be seen.
[Footnote 42: The town of Firando is in lat. 33 deg. 6' N. and even the most
northern part of the island of that name only reaches to 33 deg. 17'. The
town is in long. 128 deg. 42' E. from Greenwich. - E.]
[Footnote 43: Corea was long thought to be an island after the period of
this voyage. Astl. I. 492. c. - It is now known to be an extensive
peninsula, to the east of China, having the Yellow sea interposed. - E.]
The 12th, in thirty-five fathoms, and reckoning ourselves near the coast
of China, we had sight of at least 300 sail of junks, of twenty and
thirty tons each and upwards, two of which passed us close to windwards,
and though we used all fair means to prevail upon them to come aboard we
could not succeed, and seeing they were only fishing vessels we let them
pass. Continuing our course we soon espied land, being two islands
called the Fishers islands.[44] At noon our latitude was 25 deg. 59' N.
and we had ground at twenty to twenty-six fathoms. About seven p.m.
while steering along the land, we came close by a rock, which by good
providence we had sight of by moonlight, as it lay right in our course.
When not above twice our ship's length from this rock, we had thirty
fathoms water, on which we hauled off for one watch, to give the land a
wide birth, and resumed our course S.W. after midnight. The wind was
very strong at N.E. and continually followed as the land trended. The
13th, in lat. 24 deg. 35' N. and variation 1 deg. 30' easterly, having the wind
strong at N.E. with fair weather, we steered S.W. keeping about five
leagues off the islands along the coast of China. The 15th we came among
many fisher boats, but had so much wind that we could not speak any of
them, but they made signs to us, as we thought to keep to the westwards.
At noon our lat. was 21 deg. 40' N. and having the wind at N.N.E. a stiff
gale, we steered W.N.W. northerly, to make the land, and about two hours
afterwards had sight of it, although by our dead reckoning we ought
still to have been fifty-six leagues from it.
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