Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/511

] anchor, if the wind should serve. It shifted from the N.E. to the E.S.E. and at six o'clock A.M. we were under sail.

Passing to the northward of the little island which had sheltered us, we advanced into the open sea.

At noon, being in latitude 34° 12′ 54″ south, and in longitude 119° 21′ east, the most southerly of the rocks bore E. 2° S. distant about 3,400 toises, and the most northerly land bore N. 1° E.

For some days, east winds prevailed, which made us apprehend great difficulties, in exploring that coast; and analogy gave much probability to that supposition; for at the Cape of Good Hope, which even extends some degrees farther to the southward than that part of New Holland, east winds also predominate at the same season of the year.

24th. About noon this day, we had only reached 34° 24′ south latitude, and 120° 22′ east longitude; and the little islands at which we had anchored were still in sight.

The east wind blew very fresh in the afternoon, but in the evening, we had a hot suffocating breeze from the land. Immediately we were enveloped in a very thick fog, the air being loaded with a humidity which pervaded every thing. I can compare it to nothing so properly, as to those fogs