110 cook's first voyage may, 



At six o'clock in the evening we brought to, when 

 the northernmost part of the main in sight bore N. W., 

 and some islands which lie off it N. 31 W. Our 

 soundings after twelve o'clock were from twenty to 

 twenty-five fathom, and in the night from thirty to 

 thirty-four. 



At daybreak we made sail, Cape Manifold bear- 

 ing S. by E., distant eight leagues, and the islands 

 which I had set the night before were distant four 

 miles in the same direction. The farthest visible 

 point of the main bore N. 67 W., at the distance of 

 twenty-two miles ; but we could see several islands 

 to the northward of this direction. At nine o'clock 

 in the forenoon we were abreast of the point which 

 I called CapeTownshend. It lies in latitude 22 15'; 

 longitude 209 43' : the land is high and level, and 

 rather naked than woody. Several islands lie to the 

 northward of it, at the distance of four orfive miles out 

 at sea ; three or four leagues to the S. E. the shore 

 forms a bay, in the bottom of which there appeared 

 to be an inlet or harbour. To the westward of the 

 Cape the land trends S. W. S., and there forms a 

 very large bay, which turns to the eastward, and pro- 

 bably communicates with the inlet, and makes the 

 land of the Cape an island. As soon as we got round 

 this Cape, we hauled our wind to the westward, in 

 order to get within the islands, which lie scattered in 

 the bay in great numbers, and extend out to sea as 

 far as the eye could reach even from the mast- 

 head. These islands vary, both in height and circuit, 

 from each other ; so that, although they are very 

 numerous, no two of them are alike. We had not stood 

 long upon a wind before we came into shoal w T ater, 

 and were obliged to tack at once to avoid it. Having 

 sent a boat ahead, I bore away W. by N., many small 

 islands, rocks, and shoals, lying between us and the 

 main, and many of a larger extent without us. Our 

 soundings till near noon were from fourteen to 

 seventeen fathom, when the boat made the signal for 



