17?8. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 241 



south-west in the evening ; but it was very unsettled, 

 and blew in squalls with snow showers. In one of" 

 these, at midnight, it shifted at once to west north- 

 west, and soon increased to a very hard gale, with 

 heavy squalls, attended with sleet or snow. There 

 was no choice now ; and we were obliged to stretch 

 to the southward, in order to get clear of the coast. 

 This was done under courses, and two close-reefed 

 topsails ; being rather more sail than the ships could 

 safely bear ; but it was necessary to carry it to avoid the 

 more pressing danger of being forced on shore. This 

 gale continued till eight o'clock in the morning of the 

 13th ; when it abated, and I stood in again for the 

 land. We had been forced a considerable way back- 

 ward ; for at the time of our tacking, we were in 

 the latitude of 42 45', and in the longitude of 233 30'. 



The wind continued at west, and north-west ; 

 storms, moderate weather, and calms, succeeding 

 each other by turns, till the morning of the 21st ; 

 when, after a few hours' calm, a breeze sprung up at 

 south-west. This bringing with it fair weather, I 

 steered north-easterly, in order to fall in with the 

 land, beyond that part of it where we had already so 

 unprofitably been tossed about for the last fortnight. 

 In the evening, the wind veered to the westward ; and 

 at eight o'clock, the next morning, we saw the land, 

 extending from north-east to east, nine leagues dis- 

 tant. At this time we were in the latitude of 47 5' 

 north, and in the longitude of 23.5 10' east. 



I continued to stand to the north with a fine breeze 

 at west, and west north-west, till near seven o'clock 

 in the evening, when I tacked to wait for day-light. 

 At this time we were in forty-eight fathoms' water, 

 and about four leagues from the land, which ex- 

 tended from north to south east half east, and a small 

 round hill, which had the appearance of being an 

 island, bore north three quarters east, distant six or 

 seven leagues, as I guessed ; it appears to be of a tole- 

 rable height, and was but just to be seen from the 



VOL. VI. it 



