434 
A VOYAGE TO 
1778. fhips were in fix fathoms. By hauling a little more to the 
u Northward, we continued in much the fame depth till be¬ 
tween five and fix o’clock, when the boats meeting with 
lefs and lefs water, I made the fignal to the Difcovery, fhe 
being then ahead, to anchor, which we did foon after. In 
bringing our fhip up, the cable parted at the clinch, which 
obliged us to come to with the other anchor. We rode in 
fix fathoms water, a landy bottom, and about four or five 
leagues from the main-land ; Cape Newenham bearing 
South, feventeen leagues diftant. The fartheft hills we 
could fee to the North, bore North Eaft by Eaft; but there 
was low land ftretching out from the high land, as far as 
North by Eaft. Without this was a fhoal of fand and 
ftones, that was dry at half ebb. 
I had fent the two Matters, each in a boat, to found be¬ 
tween this Ihoal and the coaft. G11 their return, they re¬ 
ported, that there was a channel, in which they found fix 
and feven fathoms water; but that it was narrow and in¬ 
tricate. At low water, we made an attempt to get a haw- 
fer round the loft anchor; but did not fucceed then. How¬ 
ever, being determined not to leave it behind me, as long 
as there was a probability of recovering it, I perfevered in 
my endeavours; and at laft fucceeded in the evening of 
Monday 20. the 20th. 
While we were thus employed, I ordered Captain Clerke 
to fend his Matter in a boat to look for a paflage in the 
South Weft quarter. He did fo ; but no channel was to be 
found in that diredtion; nor did there appear to be any 
way to get clear of thefe fhoals, but to return by the track 
which had brought us in. For, although by following the 
channel we were in, we might probably have got farther 
down the coaft; and though poflibly this channel might 
have 
