THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 409 



By the courfe we fleered all niffht, I was in hopes of fall- ^779- 



' «-> i June. 



ing in with the continent in the morning. And, doubtlefs, ^ — . — > 

 we fhould have feen it, had the weather been, in the leaft, *"' ^^ '"' 

 dear ; but the fog prevented. Seeing no land at noon, and 

 the gale increafing, with a thick fog and rain, I fleered Weft 

 North Weft, under fuch fail as we could eafily haul the 

 wind with; being fully fenfible of the danger of running 

 before a ftrong gale in a thick fog, in the vicinity of an un- 

 known coaft. It was, however, necelTary to run forae rifk 

 when the wind favoured us ; for clear weather, we had 

 found, was generally accompanied with winds from the 

 Weft. 



Between two and three in the afternoon, land was feen 

 through the fog, bearing North Weft, not more than three 

 or four miles diftant. Upon this, we immediately hauled 

 up South, clofe to the wind. Soon after, the two courfes 

 were fplit, fo that we had others to bring to the yards ; 

 and feveral others of our fails received confidcrable da- 

 mage. At nine, the gale abated ; the weather cleared up ; 

 and we got fight of the coaft again, extending from Weft by 

 South to North Weft, about four or five leagues diftant. On 

 founding, we found a hundred fathoms water, over a muddy 

 bottom. Soon after, the fog returned, and we faw no more 

 of the land all night. 



At four next morning, the fog being now difpcrfed, we Tuefday i5. 

 found ourfelvcs in a manner fiTiroundcd by land; the con- 

 tinent, or what was fuppofed to be the continent, extending 

 from Weft South Weft to North Eaft by North ; and fome 

 elevated land bearing South Eaft half South; by eftimation 

 eight or nine leagues diftant. The North Eaft extreme of 

 the main was the fame point of land that we had fallen in 



Vol. II. 3 G with 



