Page:Early voyages to Terra Australis.djvu/312

 156 dampier's voyages.

about four leagues off shore, the water began gradually to sholden from twenty to fourteen fathom. I was edging in a little towards the land, thinking to have anchored ; but presently after the water decreas'd almost at once, till we had but five fathoms. I durst therefore adventure no farther, but steer'd out the same way that we came in ; and in a short time had ten fathom (being then about four leagues and a half from the shore) and even soundings. I steer'd away E.N.E. coasting along as the land lies. This day the sea breezes began to be very moderate again, and we made the best of our way along the shore, only in the night edging off a little for fear of sholes. Ever since we left Shark's Bay we had fair clear weather, and so for a great while still.

The 27th day we had twenty fathom water all night, yet we could not see land till one in the afternoon, from our topmast-head. By three we could just discern land from our quarter deck ; we had then sixteen fathom. The wind was N. and we steer'd E. by N. which is but one point in on the land ; yet we decreas'd our water very fast ; for at four we had but nine fathom ; the next cast but seven, which frighted us ; and we then tackt instantly and stood off: but in a short time the wind coming at N.W. and W.N.W. we tackt again and steer'd N.N.E. and then deepned our water again, and had all night from fifteen to twenty fathom.

The 28th day we had between twenty and forty fathom. We saw no land this day, but saw a great many snakes and some whales. We saw also some boobies, and noddy-birds; and in the night caught one of these last. It was of another shape and colour than any I had seen before. It had a small long bill, as all of them have, flat feet like ducks' feet ; its tail forked like a swallow, but longer and broader, and the fork deeper than that of the swallow, with very long wings; the top or crown of the head of this noddy was coal black, having also black streaks round about and close to the eyes ; and round these streaks on each side, a pretty broad white