451 VOYAGE in search 



The fouth-weft winds in thefe Teas are almoft 

 always boifterous, and add confiderably to the 

 dangers to which a navigator is expofed in 

 ranging along, from the wefiward to the eaft- 

 ward, this low coaft, often guarded by fhoals, 

 which it is to be feared he might not difcover in 

 time to be able to avoid them. 



At daybreak on the 25th we ftood in for the 

 land. The wind had become fixed at weft fouth- 

 weft, and had brought back fine weather. 



Towards the middle of the day we were in 

 laiitudc 33 41' fouth, and longitude 122 4'eaft, 

 when from the maft-head we difcerned beyond 

 feveral iflots part of the coafl, which flill appeared 

 very low, extending from weft to north-weft; 

 prefently we faw it form a dike, raifed in a tole- 

 rably uniform manner, which took a direction to 

 the eafiward, and behind wnich we did not per- 

 ceive any land. 



On the approach of night we hauled off from 

 it, and afterwards hove to. The next day, the 

 26th, we continued t< follow the coaft, and about 

 three o'clock in the afternoon we were diftant 

 from it only two kilometers: it had conftantly 

 prefented to u^ the fame appearance for an ex- 

 tent of upwards of three myriameters. We per- 

 ly diftinguifhed on it the thin, horizontal 

 ilrata, which exhibited exactly the fame forms 



as 



