THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
489 
■upon the fhore, and, by figns, feemed to invite us to ap- 177s. 
x September. 
proach them. i ^ 
As foon as we were without the ifland, we fleered South 
by Weft, for the Southernmoft point of the continent in 
fight, till eight o’clock in the evening, when, having fhoal- 
ed the water from fix fathoms to lefs than four, I tacked, 
and ftood to the Northward, into five fathoms, and then 
fpent the night plying off and on. At the time we backed, 
the Southernmoft point of land, the fame which is men¬ 
tioned above, and was named Point Shallow-Water , bore 
South half Eaft, feven leagues diftant. 
We refumed our courfe to the Southward at day-break 
next morning; but Ihoal water obliged us to haul more to Saturday 19. 
the Weft ward. At length, we got fo far advanced upon the 
bank, that we could not hold a North North Weft courfe, 
meeting fometimes with only four fathoms. The wind 
blowing frefh at Eaft North Eaft, it was high time to look 
for deep water, and to quit a coaft, upon which we could no 
longer navigate with any degree of fafety. I therefore 
hauled the wind to the Northward, and gradually deepened 
the water to eight fathoms. At the time we hauled the 
wind, we were at leaft twelve leagues from the continent, 
and nine to the Weft ward of Stuart’s Ifland. No land was 
feen to the Southward of Point Shallow-Water, which I 
judge to lie in the latitude of 63°. So that between this 
latitude, and Shoal Nefs, in latitude 6o°, the coaft is entirely 
unexplored. Probably, it is acceflible only to boats, or very 
fmall veffels; or, at leaft, if there be channels for large vef- 
fels, it would require fome time to find them; and I am of 
opinion, that they muft be looked for near the coaft. From 
the maft head, the fea within us appeared to be chequered 
with fhoals; the water was very much difcoloured and 
Vol. II. 3 R muddy; 
