loo COOK’s VOYAGE, 
ifland to windward, perhaps from the Terra del Efpirito San- 
to of Quiros, as we were now in the latitude where it is faid 
to lie. This day the thermometer in the fhade rofe to 87, 
which was higher than it had been on any day fince we came 
upon this coaft. 
Early the next morning, I fent the mailer in the pinnace, 
out of the harbour, to found about the fhoals in the offing, and 
look for a channel to the northward : at this time we had a 
breeze from thaJand, which continued till about 9 o’clock, and 
was ihe firlt wenad had ftnce our coming into the river. At 
low water we lathed fome empty calks under the Ihip’s bows, 
having fome hopes that as the tides were riling Ihe would float 
the next high water. We Hill continued to filh with great 
fuccefs, and at high water we again attempted to heave the 
ihip off, but our utmoll efforts were Hill ineffectual. 
The next day at noon, the maker returned, and reported, 
that he had found a paffage out to fea between the Ihoals, and 
defcribed its lituaticn. The Ihoals, he faid, conlilted of coral 
rocks, many of which were dry at low water, and upon one 
of which he had been alhore. He found here fome cockles of 
fo enormous a fize that one of them was more than two men 
could eat, and a great variety of other Ihell filh, of which he 
brought us a plentiful fupply : in the evening, he had alfo 
landed in a bay about three leagues to the northward of our 
llation, where he dilturbed feme of the natives who were at 
fupper : they all fled with the greatell precipitation at his ap- 
proach, leaving fome frelh fea eggs, and a fire ready kindled 
behind them, but there was neither houfe nor hovel near the 
place. We obferved, that although the Ihoals that lie juft 
within light of thecoaft, abound with Ihell-filh, which may be 
ealily caught at low water ; yet we faw no fuch Ihells about 
the fire-places on Ihore. This day an allegator was feen to 
fvvim about the Ihip for fome time, and at high water we made 
an other effort to float her, which happily fucceeded : we found 
however that by lying fo long with her head a-greund, and 
her ftern a-fl«at, Ihe had fprung a plank between decks, 
a-breaft of the main chains, fo that it was become neceffary to 
lay her alhore again. 
The next morning was employed in trimming her upon an 
even keel, and in the afternoon, having warped her over, and 
waited for high water, we laid her. alhore on the fand bank, 
on the fouth fide of the’river, for the damage lire had received 
already from the great defeent of the ground, made me afraid 
to lay her broad-fide to the lhcre in the fame place, from which 
we had juft floated her. I was now very defirous to make an- 
other trial to come at her bottom, where the fheathing had 
been rubbed off, but though Ihe had fcarcely four feet water 
under her, when the tide was out, yet that part was not dry. 
