cook's VOYAGE TO OCT. 



the tedious repetition of the same nautical observ- 

 ations. At two in the afternoon, the breeze freshened 

 from the southward, and by four had brought us 

 under close-reefed topsails, and obliged us to stand 

 off to the south-east. In consequence of this course, 

 and the haziness of the weather, the land soon dis- 

 appeared. We kept on all night, and till eight the 

 next morning, when the wind coming round to the 

 north, and growing moderate, we made sail, and 

 steered west south-west, toward the land ; but did 

 not make it till three in the afternoon, when it ex- 

 tended from north-west half west to west. The 

 northernmost extreme being a continuation of the 

 high land, which was the southernmost w r e had seen 

 the day before ; the land to the west we conceived 

 to be the Hofe Taf'el Berg (the High Table Hill) of 

 Jansen. Between the two extremes, the coast was 

 low and scarcely perceptible, except from the mast- 

 head. We stood on toward the coast till eight, when 

 we were about five leagues distant ; and having 

 shortened sail for the night, steered to the south- 

 ward, sounding every four hours ; but never found 

 ground with one hundred and sixty fathoms of line. 



On the 28th, at six in the morning, we again saw 

 land twelve leagues to the southward of that seen the 

 preceding day, extending from west south-west to 

 west by north. We steered south-west obliquely 

 with the shore ; and, at ten, saw more land open to 

 the south-west. To the westward of this land, which 

 is low and flat, are two islands, as we judged, though 

 some doubts were entertained whether they might 

 not be connected with the adjacent low ground. The 

 hazy weather, joined to our distance, prevented us 

 also from determining whether there are any inlets 

 or harbours between the projecting points, which 

 seem here to promise good shelter. At noon, the 

 north extreme bore north-west by north, and a high- 

 peaked hill, over a steep head-land, west by north, 

 distant five leagues. Our latitude at this time, by 



