394 cook's voyage to july, 



Having spent the night in making short boards, 

 at daybreak, on the morning of the 10th, we made 

 sail to the west-south-west, with a gentle breeze at 

 north-east. At eleven o'clock we thought the coast 

 to the north-west terminated in a point, bearing north- 

 west by west ; and as we had now deepened the water 

 from nine to fourteen fathoms, I steered for the point, 

 ordering the Discovery to keep ahead. But before 

 she had run a mile, she made a signal for shoal water. 

 At that instant, we had the depth of seven fathoms ; 

 and before we could get the ship's head the other 

 way had less than live ; but the Discovery had less 

 than four. 



We stood back to the north-east, three or four 

 miles ; but finding there was a strong tide or current 

 setting to the west-south-west, that is, toward the 

 shoal, we anchored in ten fathoms, over a bottom of 

 fine sand. Two hours after we had anchored, the 

 water had fallen two feet and upward, which proved 

 that it was the tide of ebb that came from the river 

 above mentioned. We also examined some of the 

 water which we had taken up, and found that it was 

 not half so salt as common sea water. This furnished 

 another proof that we were before a large river. 



At four in the afternoon, the wind shifting to south- 

 west, we weighed and stood to the southward, with 

 boats ahead sounding, and passed over the south end 

 of the shoal, in six fathoms water. We then got into 

 thirteen and fifteen ; in which last depth we anchored 

 at half past eight ; some part of the chain of moun- 

 tains, on the south-east shore, in sight, bearing south- 

 east half south ; and the westernmost land on the 

 other shore north-west. We had, in the course of 

 the day, seen high land, bearing north 60" west, by 

 estimation twelve leagues distant. 



Having weighed next morning, at two o'clock, 

 with a light breeze at south-west by west, we plied 

 to windward till nine ; when, judging the flood- tide 

 to be now made against us, we came to an anchor in 



