Cape Manifolb. 7j 
feni; away the Matter to found the channel which lay to leeward 
ef us, between the northermoft ifland and the main : it ap- 
peared to be pretty broad, but I fufpedted that it was lhallow, 
and fo indeed it was found ; for the matter reported at his re- 
turn that in many places he had only two fathom and an half, 
and where we lay at anchor we had only fixteen feet, which 
was not two feet more than the fhip drew. While the matter 
was founding the channel, Mr. Banks tried to filh from the 
cabin windows, with hook and line : the water was too lhal- 
low for filh ; but the ground was almoft covered with crabs, 
which readily took the bait, and fometimes held it fo fail in 
their claws, that they did not quit their hold till they were 
confiderably above water. Thefe crabs were of two forts, and 
both of them fuch as we had not feen before : one of them 
was adorned with the fineft blue that can be imagined, in 
every refpeft equal to the ultramarine, with which all his claws, 
and every joint was deeply tinged : the under part of him 
was white, and fo exquilitely polilhed that in colour and 
brightnefs it exadtly refembled the white of old china : the 
other was alfo marked with the ultramarine upon his joints, 
and his toes, but fomewhat more fparingly ; and his back was 
marked with three brown fpots, which had a lingular ap- 
pearance. The people who had been out with the boat to 
found, reported, that upon an illand where we had obferved 
two fires, they had feen feveral of the inhabitants, who called 
to them, and feemed very delirous that they Ihould land. 
In the evening, the wind veered to E. N. E. which gave us 
an opportunity to ftretch three or four miles back by the way 
we came ; after which, the wind Ihifted to the fouth, and 
obliged us again to anchor in fix fathom. 
At five in the morning, I lent away the matter to fearch 
for a palfage between the illands, while we got the fhip un- 
der fail ; and as foon as it was light we followed the boat, 
which made a fignal that a palfage had been found. As foon 
as we got again into deep water, we made fail to the north- 
ward, as the land lay, with foundings from nine fathom to 
fifteen, and fome fmall illands Hill without us. At noon we 
were about two leagues dittant from the main ; and by obfer- 
vation in latitude 22 : 53 S. The northermoft point of land 
in fight now bore N. N . W. dittant ten miles. To this point 
I gave the name of Cape Manifold, from the number of 
high hills which appeared over it : it lies in latitude 22 : 43 S. 
and dittant about feventeen leagues from Cape Capricorn, in 
the direction of N. 26 W. Between thefe Capes the lliore 
forms a large bay, which I called Kepfel Bay ; and I alfo 
diltinguifhed the illands by the name of Keppel’s Islands. 
In this bay there is a good anchorage ; but what refreihments 
it may ail'ord, I know not : we caught no filh, ihoimh we 
Vol.H. G 
were 
