APPENDIX III. 



4G5 



]S'.\Y. by distant from us 5 or 6 leagues, and by the 

 situation of the ship, knew it to be the land between Cape 

 Orfui ^ and Cape Basseos : ^ as this coast has been hitherto 

 considered as desert and inaccessible, we were anxious to 

 examine it, but the thick haze which hung over the land, 

 and the light winds and currents which we never failed to 

 experience on nearing the shore, obliged us to heave off 

 towards the evening to avoid getting imbayed ; the land, 

 as it appeared to us, seemed fully to justify the descrip- 

 tions given of it. It seemed of a moderate uniform height, 

 and barren and sandy, without vestige of habitation, or 

 vegetable production of any kind. "VYe hove to for a 

 short time in the afternoon, and discovered by striking 

 soundings in thirty fathoms, and suddenly deepening 

 again, that we had happened on a sandbank, many of 

 which probably lay along this coast. While we lay to the 

 lines were put overboard, and shark and rock-fish of 

 various kinds being found in great plenty, a good 

 number was soon taken, sufficient to furnish the whole 

 ship's company with a fresh meal in the evening : made 

 sail again, standing out from the land. We had to-day 

 moderate north-easterly winds with fair weather ; the 

 thermometer at 80". Lat. observed S"" 20' IN". ; long, by 

 chron. at noon 50° 32' E. ; variation 6" 12' W. Imme- 

 diately after discovering land, we perceived a large dow 

 or boat close in shore, which appeared eager to avoid us. 



26th, Saturday. At daylight we could see nothing 

 either of the boat or land, having lost sight of both during 

 the night. Standing in, we again saw the coast about 7 



» Has Hafun (not Jard Ilafun), N. lat. 10" 2G' S" (Rap?r). 

 - Ponta das Baixas, the Cape of Shoals, the point called by the 

 Arabs lla'as Aswad (Black Head), in N. lat. 4° 32'. 

 VOL. II. 30 



