THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
of this Peninfula, or Foreland, is of a moderate height, 1 776. 
and of a hilly and rocky fubftance. The coaif is low, with , Dece ” lber - | 
rocky points fhooting out from it; between which points 
are little coves, with fandy beaches; and thefe, at this time, 
were moftly covered with fea birds. We alfo faw upon 
them fome feals. 
As foon as we were clear of the rocks and illands before 
mentioned, I gave orders to fleer South Eaft by South, along 
the coaft. But before thefe orders could be carried into ex¬ 
ecution, we difcovered the whole fea before us to be che¬ 
quered with large beds of rock-weed, which we knew to be 
fail to the bottom, and to grow on rocky fhoals. I had 
often found a great depth of water on fuch fhoals; and I 
had, as often, found rocks that have raifed their heads 
nearly to the furface of the water. It is always dangerous, 
therefore, to fail over them before they are well examined; 
but more efpecially, when there is no furge of the fea to 
difcover the danger. This was the cafe at prefent, for the 
fea was as fmooth as a mill-pond. Confequently we endea¬ 
voured to avoid them, by fleering through the winding 
channels by which they were feparated. We kept the lead 
continually going; but never flruck ground with a line of 
fixty fathoms. This circumflance increafed the danger, as 
we could not anchor, whatever neceftity there might be for 
it. After running in this manner above an hour, we difco¬ 
vered a lurking rock, juft even with the furface of the fea. 
It bore North Eaft 1 Eaft, diftant three or four miles, and 
lay in the middle of one of tftefe large beds of weeds. This 
w'as a fufftcient warning to make us ufe every precaution 
to prevent our coming upon them. 
We were now crofs the mouth of a large* bay, that lies 
about eight miles to the Southward of Howe’s Foreland. In 
Vox. I. L and 
