100 
A VOYAGE TO 
{East Coast 
o-fw anot ^ er ’ ^ ve or six m il es long, on the larbord hand, the passage 
Wednes. 2o. being equally wide with the former, and the least depth 21 fathoms. 
Soon after ten o'clock, we steered northward, round the west end of 
the great reef. 
At noon, the latitude from observations to the north and south 
was 19 0 8' 15'', and longitude by time keeper, 147 0 59' east. No land 
was in sight, and the high breakers were lost in the eastern quarter ; 
but we had detached reefs in the N. E., theN. E. by N., and W. N.W., 
distant from two to five miles. Towards the north there was six 
points of clear water, and I steered onward till near three o’clock ; 
when, besides two new reefs already passed, one on each side, we had 
five others : two in the E. by N. at the distances of one and five 
miles, one E. S. E. four miles, another N. W. by W. six miles, 
and a fifth N. W. by N. three miles. Whether to steer onward 
amongst these, and trust to finding shelter for the night, or to run 
south-westward towards the land, and get within all the reefs be- 
fore night came on, was an important, but difficult point to decide. 
The reefs in sight were small, and could not afford shelter 
against the sea which was breaking high upon them ; but these 
breakers excited a hope that we might, even then, be near an open- 
ing in the barrier ; and although caution inclined to steering back 
towards the land, this prospect of an outlet determined me to pro- 
ceed, at least until four o’clock, at the chance of finding either larger 
reefs for shelter, or a clear sea. We were successful. At four, the 
depth was 43 fathoms, and no reefs in sight ; and at six, a heavy 
swell from the eastward and a depth of 66 fathoms were strong 
assurances that we had at length gained the open sea. 
The topsails were then treble reefed, and we hauled to the 
wind, which blew strong at E. S. E., with squally weather. At eight, 
hove to and sounded : no ground with 75 fathoms ; and at twelve, 
none with 115. But the wind unfortunately headed two points ; and 
the probability of meeting unknown reefs being thereby much in- 
Thvrs. 21. creased, I tacked to the southward at one in the morning ; preferring. 
