SIR THOMAS ROWE'S WELCOME. 107 



In the evening we made the American shore^ 1834. 

 and knew from our noon latitude and run, Sept. 

 that we were off Cape FuUerton at dark. 



We therefore kept the ship parallel with the 

 shore, at about fifteen miles' distance, steering 

 south-west as near as we could judge ; one com- 

 pass giving N.N.W., the other north-west, but 

 an occasional glimpse of the moon^ and a 

 '^ blink" which lay over the snow covered land, 

 were of the greatest assistance in keeping a 

 course. We this day bent the hempen cable 

 to our stream-anchor, intending it as a bowerj 

 and to a small kedge of four cwt. we bent the 

 stream cable, but both together were too small 

 to be depended on in any Aveather but a calm. 



At thirty minutes after ten P.M. we sud- 

 denly shoaled our water to thirty fathoms, 

 and then keeping north-east, to twenty, when 

 shortening sail, I stood right off the shore and 

 came to seventeen, on which I slowly wore, 

 and steering our first course south-west, deep- 

 ened to thirty ; and by four A.M. of the 15th, 

 to forty-nine fathoms ; not, however, without 

 having been under great anxiety, as our two 

 little anchors were quite inadequate to hold us, 

 if it had been requisite to bring to. 



At day-light we saw the land to the west- 

 ward at about eighteen miles, and made all 



