140 



A VOYAGE TO THE 



17«6. 

 September. 

 Wednef. 27. 



^ %ii ^' rainy weather ; we now ftood to the North Eaft by Eaft; 

 but the wind fhifted every hour, fo that there was not 

 a pofTibility of keeping our courfe. At eight o'clock, 

 having a moderate breeze at South Weft, we fleered Eaft: 

 North Eaft ; at the fame time the land made its appear- 

 ance through the haze, bearing from North North Weft 

 to Eaft North Eaft. This breeze, however, was of fhort 

 duration ; for in the fpace of an hour it grew nearly calm, 

 and continued light and variable till four in the afternoon, 

 when a little breeze fprung up from the South Weft; but 

 judging with fo light a breeze that we could not reach: 

 the Sound before night (our diftance from it being about 

 fix leagues), we ftood to the South South Eaft, with an. 

 intention of Ipending the night in ftanding oft^ and on, 

 and then, if an opportunity offered at daylight, to run. 

 into the Sound. During the former part of the night 

 the wind blew frefti and in fqualls, with frequent heavy 

 fhowers of hail; this was fucceeded by light variable winds 



ThuifdayaS. and tliick rainy weather. At ftx o'clock next morning we 

 tacked and bore away to the North Eaft, the weather hazy,, 

 and a prodigious heavy fwell from the South Weft.- The- 

 North point of the entrance into King George's Sound at 

 eight o'clock bore North Eaft half North, diftant four 

 leagues, and the Wefternmoft land in ftght North Weft- 

 l)y North, ftx leagues diftant. At nine it fell calm, and. 

 the heavy fwell continuing from the South Weft, and a 

 ftrong current fetting to the North North Eaft drove us 

 very faft towards the fhore, and fome breakers that are 

 lituated to the Northward and Weftward of the entrance 

 into the Sound. At firft I had fome thoughts of get- 

 ting our boats out to tow the ftiip's head, round, and5 

 to keep her off" ftiore ; but the motion of the fhip was fos 



i-iv great J 



