Accordingly, August 23rd, At Five In The Morning, We Ran Out, Having
A Pretty Fresh Land Breeze At South-South-East.
By eight o'clock we
were got out, and very seasonably, for before nine the sea breeze
came on us very strong, and increasing, we took in our top-sails and
stood off under two courses and a mizen, this being as much sail as
we could carry.
The sky was clear, there being not one cloud to be
seen, but the horizon appeared very hazy, and the sun at setting the
night before, and this morning at rising, appeared very red. The
wind continued very strong till twelve, then it began to abate; I
have seldom met with a stronger breeze. These strong sea breezes
lasted thus in their turns three or four days. They sprang up with
the sunrise; by nine o'clock they were very strong, and so continued
till noon, when they began to abate; and by sunset there was little
wind, or a calm, till the land breezes came, which we should
certainly have in the morning about one or two o'clock. The land
breezes were between the south-south-west and south-south-east: the
sea breezes between the east-north-east and north-north-east. In
the night while calm, we fished with hook and line, and caught good
store of fish viz., snappers, breams, old-wives, and dog-fish. When
these last came we seldom caught any others; for it they did not
drive away the other fish, yet they would be sure to keep them from
taking our hooks, for they would first have them themselves, biting
very greedily. We caught also a monk-fish, of which I brought home
the picture.
On the 25th of August we still coasted along shore, that we might
the better see any opening; kept sounding, and had about twenty
fathom, clean sand. The 26th day, being about four leagues off
shore, the water began gradually to sholden from twenty to fourteen
fathom. I was edging in a little towards the land, thinking to have
anchored; but presently after the water decreased almost at once,
till we had but five fathom. I durst, therefore, adventure no
farther, but steered out the same way that we came in, and in a
short time had ten fathom (being then about four leagues and a half
from the shore), and even soundings. I steered away east-north-
east, coasting along as the land lies. This day the sea breezes
began to be very moderate again, and we made the best of our way
along shore, only in the night edging off a little for fear of
shoals. Ever since we left Shark's Bay we had fair clear weather,
and so for a great while still.
The 27th day we had twenty fathom water all night, yet we could not
see land till one in the afternoon from our topmast-head. By three
we could just discern land from our quarter-deck; we had then
sixteen fathom. The wind was at north, and we steered east-by-
north, which is but one point in on the land; yet we decreased our
water very fast, for at four we had but nine fathom, the next cast
but seven, which frightened us; and we then tacked instantly and
steed off, but in a short time the wind coming at north-west and
west-north-west, we tacked again and steered north-north-east, and
then deepened our water again, and had all night from fifteen to
twenty fathom.
The 28th day we had between twenty and forty fathom. We saw no land
this day, but saw a great many snakes and some whales. We saw also
some boobies and noddy-birds, and in the night caught one of these
last. It was of another shape and colour than any I had seen
before. It had a small long bill, as all of them have, flat feet
like ducks' feet, its tail forked like a swallow, but longer and
broader, and the fork deeper than that of the swallow, with very
long wings; the top or crown of the head of this noddy was coal-
black, having also small black streaks round about and close to the
eyes; and round these streaks on each side, a pretty broad white
circle. The breast, belly, and under part of the wings of this
noddy were white, and the back and upper part of its wings of a
faint black or smoke colour. Noddies are seen in most places
between the tropics, as well in the East Indies and on the coast of
Brazil, as in the West Indies. They rest ashore at night, and
therefore we never see them far at sea, not above twenty or thirty
leagues, unless driven off in a storm. When they come about a ship
they commonly perch in the night, and will sit still till they are
taken by the seamen. They build on cliffs against the sea, or
rocks.
The 30th day, being in latitude 18 degrees 21 minutes, we made the
land again, and saw many great smokes near the shore; and having
fair weather and moderate breezes, I steered in towards it. At four
in the afternoon I anchored in eight fathom water, clear sand, about
three leagues and a half from the shore. I presently sent my boat
to sound nearer in, and they found ten fathom about a mile farther
in, and from thence still farther in the water decreased gradually
to nine, eight, seven, and at two miles distance to six fathom.
This evening we saw an eclipse of the moon, but it was abating
before the moon appeared to us; for the horizon was very hazy, so
that we could not see the moon till she had been half an hour above
the horizon; and at two hours twenty-two minutes after sunset, by
the reckoning of our glasses, the eclipse was quite gone, which was
not of many digits.
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