At Day-Break On The 25th, We Were On The North Side Of The Island (Which Is
Of A Moderate Height, And Three Leagues In Circuit,) And Steered West For
The Bluff-Head, Along The Low Land Under It.
At sun-rise an elevated coast
came in sight beyond the bluff-head, extending to the north as far
N.W. by
W. After doubling the head we found the land to trend south, a little
easterly, and to form a large deep bay, bounded on the west by the coast
just mentioned.
Every thing conspired to make us believe this was the Bay of St Philip and
St Jago, discovered by Quiros in 1606. To determine this point, it was
necessary to proceed farther up; for at this time we saw no end to it. The
wind being at south, we were obliged to ply, and first stretched over for
the west shore, from which we were three miles at noon, when our latitude
was 14 deg. 55' 30" S., longitude 167 deg. 3' E.; the mouth of the bay extending
from N. 64 deg. W., to S. 86 deg. E., which last direction was the bluff-head,
distant three leagues. In the afternoon the wind veering to E.S.E., we
could look up to the head of the bay; but as the breeze was faint, a N.E.
swell hurtled us over to the west shore; so that, at half past four o'clock
p.m., we were no more than two miles from it, and tacked in one hundred and
twenty fathoms water, a soft muddy bottom.
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