98 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
may be drawn. The circumstance in question is, 
that we have had a fresh and steady breeze all day 
from the northward, a thing that has not happened 
before to the same extent since we entered these 
Straits, if the passage that we have come through 
may be so denominated ; for the wind, whenever it 
blew steadily for any length of time, has always 
been from the eastward or westward, or, in other 
words, in the direction of the passage ; and, as far 
as my own experience goes, and, indeed, by what I 
can learn from others, it appears to be almost a ge- 
neral rule, in straits, or narrow channels, for the 
wind to blow either out or into them, particularly 
when it blows fresh, as was the case to-day. It may 
be presumed then, upon these grounds, that we have 
now got an extensive sea to the northward of us. 
We passed three or four low islands to-day again ; 
but as it would be somewhat difficult, and at the 
same time of little importance to give their rela- 
tive situations, with respect to each other, I shall 
merely observe, that their features are entirely of a 
different cast from the land to the eastward, their 
surface being smooth, low, and apparently sandy ; 
the depth of the water corresponds also with the na- 
ture of the land, for we sounded at one time in 
thirty-four fathoms, and the greatest depth of water 
we sounded in was seventy-eight fathoms. 
Wednesday, 25th. —'The wind being from the 
westward to-day, we have not been able to make 
much progress. ‘The islands mentioned yesterday 
were in sight all day, and a range of higher land, 
apparently islands also, was seen to the northward. 
The sea still continues to be shallower than we have 
19 
