162 cook's second voyage dec 



in my power ekher to stand out to sea, or up the 

 inlet. Prudence seemed to point out the former ; 

 but the desire of finding a good port, and of learning 

 something of the country, getting the better of every 

 other consideration, I resolved to stand in ; and as 

 night was approaching, our safety depended on get- 

 ting to an anchor. With this view we continued to 

 sound, but always had an unfathomable depth. 



Hauling up under the east side of the land which 

 divided the two arms, and seeing a small cove a-head, 

 I sent a boat to sound ; and we kept as near the 

 shore as the flurries from the land would permit, in 

 order to be able to get into this place, if there should 

 be anchorage. The boat soon returned, and informed 

 us that there was thirty and twenty-five fathoms water, 

 a full cable's length from the shore. Here we anchored 

 in thirty fathoms, the bottom sand and broken shells ; 

 and carried out a kedge and hawser, to steady the 

 ship for the night. 



