Page:Captain Cook's Journal during His First Voyage Round the World.djvu/281

March 1770.] vation was 47° 26′ S.; Long. made from Cape Saunders 3° 4′ W., the land in sight—which has very much the appearance of an Island —extending N.E. by N. to N.W. by W., distant from the Shore about 4 or 5 Leagues; the Eastermost ledge of rocks bore S.S.E., distant 1½ Leagues; and Northermost N.E. ½ E., 3 Leagues. This land is of a moderate height, and has a very barren Aspect; not a Tree to be seen upon it, only a few Small Shrubs. There were several white patches, on which the sun's rays reflected very strongly, which I take to be a kind of Marble such as we have seen in many places of this Country, particularly to the Northward.

Saturday, 10th.—P.M. Moderate breezes at N.W. by N. and N. with which we stood close upon a Wind to the Westward. At sunset the Southermost point of land, which I afterwards named South Cape, and which lies in the Lat. of 47° 19′ S., Long. 192° 12′ W. from Greenwich, bore N. 38° E., distant 4 Leagues, and the Westermost land in sight bore N. 2° E. This last was a small Island, lying off the point of the Main. I began now to think that this was the Southermost land, and that we should be able to get round it by the W., for we have had a large hollow swell from the S.W. ever since we had the last gale of wind from that Quarter, which makes one think there is no land in that direction. In the Night it began to blow, so that at or before daylight we were brought under our 2 Courses; but at 8 a.m. it fell moderate, and we set the Topsails close Reeft, and the Mizⁿ and Mizⁿ Staysail being split, we unbent them and bent others. At Noon, the wind Coming at W., we Tackt and stood to the Northward, having no land in sight; our Latitude by observation was 47° 33′ S., Long. West from the South Cape 0° 59′.

Sunday, 11th.—Winds between the W. and N.W., a fresh Gale, and Clear weather. Stood away N.N.E. close upon a wind without seeing any land until 2 A.M., when we discover'd an Island bearing N.W. by N., distant 4 or 5 Leagues. Two hours after this we saw the Land ahead, upon which we Tackt and stood off until 6 o'Clock; then stood in, in order to take a nearer View of it. At 11, being about 3 Leagues from the land, and the wind seem'd to incline on Shore, we Tackt and stood off to the Southward. And now we thought that, the land to the Southward, or that we have been sailing round these 2 days past, was an Island, because there appeared an Open Channell between the N. part of that land and the S. part of the other in which we thought we saw the Small Island we were in with the 6th Instant; but when I came to lay this land down upon paper from the several bearings I had taken, it appeared that