Page:Colnett - Voyage to the South Pacific (IA cihm 33242).djvu/64

 weather and much ea. By un-et, we got well up with the Wetern ile, and being moon-light, I ent the chief mate, in one of the boats, to fih during the night, as well as to take oundings round the ile for the bet anchoring place; and in the morning to make an attempt to land. At noon, on the following day, he returned with plenty of fih of the pecies of cod and bream, weighing from four to ix pounds each; and informed me he had taken oundings round the ile, and that the only bay was on the South ide; but that he could not find any bottom except cloe to the hore, which was at eighteen fathoms depth and rocky: That he had alo ounded, on the North ide, round the ile, to eight fathoms, within half a mile of the hore, and found a andy bottom; but beyond that, could find no ground, at thirty fathoms; and, that the late gale had occaioned o great a urf as to render it impoible to land. He added, that the iland appeared to be covered with eals. I had by this time urrounded the ile, with the hip, and frequently tried for oundings, but no bottom could be found, with one hundred and eventy fathoms of line, at the ditance of from four to ix miles from the hore.

The whaling mater and econd mate attempted to land in the evening, the well having coniderably abated; but they could not accomplih their deign. They et out again, at four o'clock the next morning, twenty-econd, with a imilar deign;