398 cook's voyage to july, 



six o'clock, when the boats meeting with less and less 

 water, I made the signal to the Discovery, she being 

 then ahead, to anchor, which we did soon after. In 

 bringing our ship up, the cable parted at the clinch, 

 which obliged us to come to with the other anchor. 

 We rode in six fathoms water, a sandy bottom, and 

 about four or five leagues from the main land ; Cape 

 Newenham bearing south, seventeen leagues distant. 

 The farthest hills we could see to the north, bore 

 N. E. by E. ; but there was low land stretching out 

 from the high land, as far as north by east. Without 

 this was a shoal of sand and stones, that was dry at 

 half ebb. 



I had sent the two masters, each in a boat, to sound 

 between this shoal and the coast. On their return, 

 they reported that there was a channel in which they 

 found six and seven fathoms water ; but that it was 

 was narrow and intricate. At low water we made an 

 attempt to get a hawser round the lost anchor, but 

 did not succeed then. However, being determined 

 not to leave it behind me, as long as there was a 

 probability of recovering it, I persevered in my en- 

 deavours, and at last succeeded in the evening of 

 the 20th. 



While we were thus employed, I ordered Captain 

 Clerke to send his master in a boat to look for a pas- 

 sage in the south-west quarter. He did so ; but no 

 channel was to be found in that direction ; nor did 

 there appear to be any way to get clear of these shoals, 

 but to return by the track which had brought us in. 

 For, although by following the channel we were in, 

 we might probably have got farther down the coast, 

 and though possibly this channel might have led us 

 at last to the north, clear of the shoals, still the at- 

 tempt would have been attended with vast risk ; and 

 if we should not have succeeded, there would have 

 been a considerable loss of time that could ill be 

 spared. These reasons induced me to return by the 

 way in which we came, and so get without the shoals. 



