16 cook's voyage to dec. 



weed, which we knew to be fast to the bottom, and 

 to grow on rocky shoals. I had often found a great 

 depth of water on such shoals ; and I had as often 

 found rocks that have raised their heads nearly to 

 the surface of the water. It is always dangerous, 

 therefore, to sail over them before they are well 

 examined ; but more especially, when there is no 

 surge of the sea to discover the danger. This was 

 the case at present, for the sea was as smooth as a 

 mill-pond. Consequently we endeavoured to avoid 

 them, by steering through the winding channels by 

 which they were separated. We kept the lead con- 

 tinually going ; but never struck ground with a line 

 of sixty fathoms. This circumstance increased the 

 danger, as we could not anchor, whatever necessity 

 there might be for it. After running in this manner 

 above an hour, we discovered a lurking rock, just 

 even with the surface of the sea. It bore N. E. ^ 

 E., distant three or four miles, and lay in the middle 

 of one of these large beds of weeds. This was a suf- 

 ficient warning to make us use every precaution to 

 prevent our coming upon them. 



We were now across the mouth of a large bay, that 

 lies about eight miles to the southward of Howe's 

 Foreland. In and before the entrance of this bay 

 are several low islands, rocks, and those beds of sea- 

 weed. But there seemed to be winding channels 

 between them. After continuing our course half an 

 hour longer, we were so much embarrassed with 

 these shoals, that I resolved to haul off to the east- 

 ward, as the likeliest means of extricating ourselves 

 from the danger that threatened us. But so far was 

 this from answering the intended purpose, that it 

 brought us into more. I therefore found it abso- 

 lutely necessary to secure the ships, if possible, in some 

 place before night, especially as the weather had 

 now become hazy, and a fog was apprehended. And 

 seeing some inlets to the south-west of us, I ordered 

 Captain Clerke, as the Discovery drew less water 



