THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 397 



birds, like linnets, flew about us with a decree of vigour '779- 



° ° G&ober. 



that feemed to prove, they had not been long upon the < «— -». 



wing. We alfo pafTed patches of long grafs, and a piece 

 either of fugar-cane or bamboo. Thefe figns, that land was 

 at no great diftance, induced us to try for foundings ; but 

 we found no ground with ninety fathoms of line. Toward 

 evening, the wind by degrees fhifted round to the South, 

 with which we ftill kept on to the Weft South Weft ; and at 

 day-break of the 26th, we had the pleafure of defcrying Tuefda yi 6, 

 high land to the Weftward, which proved to be Japan. At 

 eight, it extended from North Weft to South by Weft, diftant 

 three or four leagues. A low flat cape bore North Weft 

 three-quarters Weft, and feemed to make the South part of 

 the entrance of a bay. Toward the South extreme, a conical 

 fliaped hill bore South by Weft three-quarters Weft. To the 

 Northward of this hill there appeared to be a very deep in- 

 let, the North fide of the entrance into which is formed by 

 a low point of land, and, as well as we could judge by our 

 glaffes, has a fmall ifland near it to the Southward. 



We flood on till nine, when we were within two leagues 

 of the land, bearing Weft three-quarters South, and had 

 foundings of fifty-eight fathoms, with a bottom of very 

 fine fand. We now tacked and flood off; but the wind 

 dying away, at noon we had got no farther than three 

 leagues from the coaft, which extended from North Weft 

 by North three-quarters Weft, to South half Eaft, and was, 

 for the mod part, bold and cliffy. The low cape to the 

 Northward bore North Weft by Weft, fix leagues diftant ; 

 and the North point, of the inlet South, three-quarters Weft. 

 The latitude, by observation, was 40 5', and longitude 142* 

 28'. The Nonhernmoft land in fight, we judged to be the 



Northern^ 



