Ranging along N, Holland IJlands. i ^ y 
' fhore on one of the Iflands, and ftay till 1699. 
the Ship came in ; where they might in 
the mean time fearch for Water. So we 
followed after with the Ship, founding as 
we went in, and had 20 Faiho;n, till wit h- 
in 2 Leagues ot the Bluff- head, and then 
we had Ihole Water, and very uncertain 
Soundings: Yet we ran in ffill with an ea- 
fie Sail , lounding and looking out well, 
for this was dangerous \^^ork. Who’ we 
came abreaft of the Bluff- head ; and about 
2 Mile from it, w e h;id but 7 Fathom : 
Then we Edged aw'ay from it, bur had 
no more Water ; and running in a little 
farther, W'e had but 4 Fathoms: So we 
Anchored immediately ; and yet when we 
had veered ogt a third of a Cable we had 
7 Fathom Water again ; fo uncertain was 
the Water. My Boat came immediately 
aboard, and told me that the Ifland was ve- 
ry Rocky and Dry, and they had little 
hopes of finding Water there. I fent them 
to found, and bad them, if they found a 
Channel of 8 or 10 Fathom Water, to keep 
on, and we would follow with the Ship, 
We w'ere now about 4 Leagues within tiie 
outer fmall Rocky Iflands, but ft ill could 
fee nothing but Iflands within us ; fome 5 
or 6 Leagues long, others not above a Mile 
round. The large Iflilnds were pretty 
high ; but all appeared Dry, and rnofily 
Rocky and Barren. The Rocks look’d of 
a 
