436 cook's voyage to sept. 



But it was already doubtful, whether we should find 

 a passage between them, for the water shoaled insen- 

 sibly as we advanced farther to the north. In this 

 situation, two boats were sent to sound before the 

 ships ; and I ordered the Discovery to lead, keeping 

 nearly in the mid-channel, between the coast on our 

 larboard, and the northernmost island on our star- 

 board. Thus we proceeded till three in the after- 

 noon ; when, having passed the island, we had not 

 more than three fathoms and an half of water ; and 

 the Resolution, at one time, brought the mud up 

 from the bottom. More water was not to be found 

 in any part of the channel ; for, with the ships and 

 boats, we had tried it from side to side. 



I therefore thought it high time to return ; espe- 

 cially as the wind was in such a quarter, that we must 

 ply back. But what I dreaded most was the wind 

 increasing, and raising the sea into waves, so as to 

 put the ships in danger of striking. At this time, a 

 head-land on the west shore, which is distinguished 

 by the name of Bald Head, bore north by west, one 

 league distant. The coast beyond it extended as far 

 north-east by north, where it seemed to end in a 

 point ; behind which the coast of the high land, seen 

 over the islands, stretched itself; and some thought 

 they could trace where it joined. On the west side 

 of Bald Head, the shore forms a bay, in the bottom 

 of which is a low beach, where we saw a number of 

 huts or habitations of the natives. 



Having continued to ply back all night, by day- 

 break the next morning we had got into six fathoms* 

 water. At nine o'clock, being about a league from 

 the west shore, I took two boats, and landed, at- 

 tended by Mr. King, to seek wood and water. We 

 landed where the coast projects out into a bluff head, 

 composed of perpendicular strata of a rock of a 

 dark blue colour, mixed with quartz and glimmer. 

 There joins to the beach a narrow border of land, 

 now covered with long grass, and where we met with 



7 



