We Were Already Far Out Of Sight Of Land; And There Was No Knowing
How Much Farther We Might Be Carried, Before We Found An End To Them.
These
considerations, together with the risk we must run in exploring a sea
strewed with shoals, and where no
Anchorage, without them, is to be found,
induced me to abandon the design of proceeding round by the N.W., and to
ply up to the S.E, in which direction I knew there was a clear sea. With
this view we tacked and stood to the S.E., with the wind at N.E. by E., a
gentle breeze. At this time we were in the latitude of 19 deg. 7' S., longitude
163 deg. 57' E.
In standing to the S.E. we did but just weather the point of the reef we
had passed the preceding evening. To make our situation the more dangerous
the wind began to fail us; and at three in the afternoon it fell calm, and
left us to the mercy of a great swell, setting directly on the reef, which
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.
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