Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/515

] About noon, the coast inclined a little towards the south-east, and changed its appearance, being then interspersed with little sandy hills, which, falling with a gentle declivity, were bounded by a very low beach. The sea then assuming a greenish appearance, even in the distant offing, indicated a change of bottom; but a line of fourteen fathoms could not reach it.

The wind soon began to blow very fresh. Experience had taught us to dread the south-west winds, on that coast, which had almost always become impetuous; and therefore we stood S.E. ¼ E. to get into the offing.

The want of water began to be severely felt on board of both the ships, and it was evident that if we could not immediately find a supply of that article, we must in a short time abandon that coast. But if we had begun with its most easterly part, and coasted it from east to west, we would have had the advantage of getting a full supply of water at Cape Diemen; whereas, the half of our's [sic] was consumed, when we began to explore the coast, at its most westerly point. This consideration, among many others, is a strong inducement to coast it from east to west. Besides, the impetuosity of the west winds exposes ships to the greatest dangers; while the east winds, which