A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 13 by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 13

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The chief refreshment that we procured here was turtle, but as they were
not to be had without going five leagues out to sea, and the weather was
frequently tempestuous, we did not abound with this dainty: What we
caught, as well as the fish, was always equally divided among us all by
weight, the meanest person on board having the same share as myself; and
I think every commander, in such a voyage as this, will find it his
interest to follow the same rule. In several parts of the sandy beaches,
and sand hills near the sea, we found purslain, and a kind of bean that
grows upon a stalk, which creeps along the ground: The purslain we found
very good when it was boiled, and the beans are not to be despised, for
we found them of great service to our sick: The best greens, however,
that could be procured here, were the tops of the coccos, which have
been mentioned already, as known in the West Indies by the name of
_Indian kale_: These were, in our opinion, not much inferior to
spinnage, which in taste they somewhat resemble; the roots indeed are
not good, but they might probably be meliorated by proper cultivation.
They are found here chiefly in boggy ground. The few cabbage palms that
we met with were in general small, and yielded so little cabbage that
they were not worth seeking.

Besides the kanguroo and the opossum that have been already mentioned,
and a kind of pole-cat, there are wolves upon this part of the coast, if
we were not deceived by the tracks upon the ground, and several species
of serpents; some of the serpents are venomous, and some harmless: There
are no tame animals here except dogs, and of these we saw but two or
three, which frequently came about the tents to pick up the scraps and
bones that happened to lie scattered near them. There does not indeed
seem to be many of any animal except the kanguroo; we scarcely saw any
other above once, but this we met with almost every time we went into
the woods. Of land-fowls we saw crows, kites, hawks, cockatoos of two
sorts, one white and the other black, a very beautiful kind of
loriquets, some parrots, pigeons of two or three sorts, and several
small birds not known in Europe. The water-fowls are herns, whistling
ducks, which perch, and, I believe, roost upon trees, wild geese,
curlieus, and a few others, but these do not abound. The face of the
country, which has been occasionally mentioned before, is agreeably
diversified by hill and valley, lawn and wood. The soil of the hills is
hard, dry, and stony, yet it produces coarse grass besides wood: The
soil of the plains and vallies is in some places sand, and in some clay;
in some also it is rocky and stony, like the hills; in general, however,
it is well clothed, and has at least the appearance of fertility. The
whole country, both hill and valley, wood and plain, abounds with
anthills, some of which are six or eight feet high, and twice as much in
circumference. The trees here are not of many sorts; the gum tree, which
we found on the southern part of the coast, is the most common, but here
it is not so large: On each side of the river, through its whole course,
there are mangroves in great numbers, which in some places extend a mile
within the coast. The country is in all parts well watered, there being
several fine rivulets at a small distance from each other, but none in
the place where we lay, at least not during the time we were there,
which was the dry season; we were, however, well supplied with water by
springs, which were not far off.

In the afternoon of the 4th, we had a gentle breeze at S.E., and clear
weather, but as I did not intend to sail till the morning, I sent all
the boats to the reef to get what turtle and shell-fish they could. At
low water I went up to the mast-head and took a view of the shoals,
which made a very threatening appearance: I could see several at a
remote distance, and part of many of them was above water. The sea
appeared most open to the north-east of the turtle reef, and I came to a
resolution to stretch out that way close upon a wind, because, if we
should find no passage, we could always return the way we went. In the
evening, the boats brought in a turtle, a sting-ray, and as many large
cockles as came to about a pound and a half a man, for in each of them
there was not less than two pounds of meat: In the night also we caught
several sharks, which, though not a dainty, were an acceptable increase
of our fresh provision.

In the morning I waited till half ebb before I weighed, because at that
time the shoals begin to appear, but the wind then blew so hard that I
was obliged to remain at anchor: In the afternoon, however, the gale
becoming more moderate, we got under sail, and stood out upon a wind
N.E. by E., leaving the turtle reef to windward, and having the pinnace
sounding a-head: We had not kept this course long before we discovered
shoals before us, and upon both the bows; and at half an hour after
four, having run about eight miles, the pinnace made the signal for
shoal water, where we little expected it: Upon this we tacked, and stood
on and off, while the pinnace stretched farther to the eastward, and
night approaching, I came to an anchor in twenty fathom water, with a
muddy bottom. Endeavour River then bore S. 52 W.; Cape Bedford W. by N.
1/2 N., distant five leagues; the northermost land in sight, which had
the appearance of an island, N.; and a shoal, a small sandy part of
which appeared above water, bore N.E., distant between two and three
miles: In standing off from turtle reef to this place, we had from
fourteen to twenty fathom water, but when the pinnace was about a mile
farther to the E.N.E., there was no more than four or five feet water,
with rocky ground, and yet this did not appear to us in the ship. In the
morning of the 6th, we had a strong gale, so that instead of weighing,
we were obliged to veer away more cable, and strike our top-gallant
yards. At low water, myself, with several of the officers, kept a
look-out at the mast-head to see if any passage could be discovered
between the shoals, but nothing was in view except breakers, extending
from the S. round by the E. as far as N.W., and out to sea beyond the
reach of our sight; these breakers, however, did not appear to be caused
by one continued shoal, but by several which lay detached from each
other: On that which lay farthest to the eastward, the sea broke very
high, which made me think it was the outermost, for upon many of these
within, the breakers were inconsiderable, and from about half ebb to
half flood, they were not to be seen at all, which makes sailing among
them still more dangerous, especially as the shoals here consist
principally of coral rocks, which are as steep as a wall; upon some of
them, however, and generally at the north end, there are patches of
sand, which are covered only at high water, and which are to be
discerned at some distance. Being now convinced that there was no
passage to sea but through the labyrinth formed by these shoals, I was
altogether at a loss which way to steer, when the weather should permit
us to get under sail. It was the master's opinion that we should beat
back the way we came, but this would have been an endless labour, as the
wind blew strongly from that quarter, almost without intermission; on
the other hand, if no passage could be found to the northward, we should
be compelled to take that measure at last. These anxious deliberations
engaged us till eleven o'clock at night, when the ship drove, and
obliged us to veer away to a cable and one third, which brought her up;
but in the morning, the gale increasing, she drove again, and we
therefore let go the small bower, and veered away to a whole cable upon
it, and two cables on the other anchors, yet she still drove, though not
so fast; we then got down top gallant-gallant-masts, and struck the
yards and topmasts close down, and at last had the satisfaction to find
that she rode. Cape Bedford now bore W.S.W. distant three leagues and a
half, and in this situation we had shoals to the eastward, extending
from the S.E. by S. to the N.N.W., the nearest of which was about two
miles distant. As the gale continued, with little remission, we rode
till seven o'clock in the morning of the 10th, when it being more
moderate, we weighed and stood in for the land, having at length
determined to seek a passage along the shore to the northward, still
keeping the boat a-head: During our run in we had from nineteen to
twelve fathom: After standing in about an hour, we edged away for three
small islands that lay N.N.E. 1/2 E., three leagues from Cape Bedford,
which the master had visited while we were in port. At nine o'clock we
were a-breast of them, and between them and the main: Between us and the
main there was another low island, which lies N.N.W. four miles from the
three islands; and in this channel we had fourteen fathom water. The
northermost point of land in sight now bore N.N.W. 1/2 W., distant about
two leagues. Four or five leagues to the north of this head-land we saw
three islands, near which lay some that were still smaller, and we could
see the shoals and reefs without us, extending to the northward, as far
as these islands: Between these reefs and the headland we directed our
course, leaving to the eastward a small island, which lies N. by E.,
distant four miles from the three islands. At noon, we were got between
the headland and the three islands: From the head-land we were distant
two leagues, and from the islands four; our latitude by observation was
14 deg. 51'. We now thought we saw a clear opening before us, and hoped that
we were once more out of danger; in this hope, however, we soon found
ourselves disappointed, and for that reason I called the head-land _Cape
Flattery_. It lies in latitude 14 deg. 56' S., longitude 214 deg. 43' W., and is
a lofty promontory, making next the sea in two hills, which have a third
behind them, with low sandy ground on each side: It may, however, be
still better known by the three islands out at sea: The northermost and
largest lies about five leagues from the cape, in the direction of
N.N.E. From Cape Flattery the land trends away N.W. and N.W. by W. We
steered along the shore N.W. by W. till one o'clock, for what we thought
the open channel; when the potty officer at the mast-head cried-out that
he saw land a-head, extending quite round to the islands that lay
without us, and a large reef between us and them: Upon this I ran up to
the mast-head myself, from whence I very plainly saw the reef, which was
now so far to windward, that we could not weather it, but the land
a-head, which he had supposed to be the main, appeared to me to be only
a bluster of small islands. As soon as I got down from the mast-head,
the master and some others went up, who all insisted that the land
a-head was not islands, but the main; and, to make their report still
more alarming, they said that they saw breakers all round us. In this
dilemma, we hauled upon a wind in for the land, and made the signal for
the boat that was sounding a-head to come on board, but as she was far
to leeward, we were obliged to edge away to take her up, and soon after
we came to an anchor, under a point of the main, in somewhat less than
five fathom, and at about the distance of a mile from the shore. Cape
Flattery now bore S.E. distant three leagues and a half. As soon as the
ship was at anchor, I went ashore upon the point, which is high, and
afforded me a good view of the sea coast, trending away N.W. by W. eight
or ten leagues, which, the weather not being very clear, was as far as I
could see. Nine or ten small low islands, and some shoals, appeared off
the coast; I saw also some large shoals between the main and the three
high islands, without which, I was clearly of opinion there were more
islands, and not any part of the main. Except the point I was now upon,
which I called _Point Lookout_, and Cape Flattery, the main-land, to the
northward of Cape Bedford, is low, and chequered with white sand and
green bushes, for ten or twelve miles inland, beyond which it rises to a
considerable height. To the northward of Point Lookout, the coast
appeared to be shoal and flat for a considerable distance, which did not
encourage the hope that the channel we had hitherto found in with the
land would continue. Upon this point, which was narrow, and consisted of
the finest white sand we had ever seen, we discovered the footsteps of
people, and we saw also smoke and fire at a distance up the country.

In the evening, I returned to the ship, and resolved the next morning to
visit one of the high islands in the offing, from the top of which, as
they lay five leagues out to sea, I hoped to discover more distinctly
the situation of the shoals, and the channel between them.

In the morning therefore of the 11th, I set out in the pinnace,
accompanied by Mr Banks, whose fortitude and curiosity made him a party
in every expedition, for the northermost and largest of the three
islands, and at the same time I sent the master in the yawl to leeward,
to sound between the low islands and the main. In my way, I passed over
a reef of coral rock and sand, which lies about two leagues from the
island, and I left another to leeward, which lies about three miles from
it: On the north part of the reef, to the leeward, there is a low sandy
island, with trees upon it; and upon the reef which we passed over, we
saw several turtle: We chased one or two, but having little time to
spare, and the wind blowing fresh, we did not take any.

About one o'clock, we reached the island, and immediately ascended the
highest hill, with a mixture of hope and fear, proportioned to the
importance of our business, and the uncertainty of the event: When I
looked round, I discovered a reef of rocks, lying between two and three
leagues without the islands, and extending in a line N.W. and S.E.
farther than I could see, upon which the sea broke in a dreadful surf:
This however made me think that there were no shoals beyond them, and I
conceived hopes of getting without these, as I perceived several breaks
or openings in the reef, and deep water between that and the islands. I
continued upon this hill till sunset, but the weather was so hazy during
the whole time that I came down much disappointed. After reflecting upon
what I had seen, and comparing the intelligence I had gained with what I
expected, I determined to stay upon the island all night, hoping that
the morning might be clearer, and afford me a more distinct and
comprehensive view. We therefore took up our lodging under the shelter
of a bush which grew upon the beach, and at three in the morning, having
sent the pinnace, with one of the mates whom I had brought out with me,
to sound between the island and the reefs, and examine what appeared to
be a channel through them, I climbed the hill a second time, but to my
great disappointment found the weather much more hazy than it had been
the day before. About noon the pinnace returned, having been as far as
the reef, and found between fifteen and twenty-eight fathom of water;
but it blew so hard that the mate did not dare to venture into one of
the channels, which he said appeared to him to be very narrow: This
however did not discourage me, for I judged, from his description of the
place he had been at, that he had seen it to disadvantage. While I was
busy in my survey, Mr Banks was attentive to his favourite pursuit, and
picked up several plants which he had not before seen. We found the
island, which is visible at twelve leagues distance, to be about eight
leagues in circumference, and in general very rocky and barren. On the
north-west side, however, there are some sandy bays, and some low land,
which is covered with long thin grass, and trees of the same kind with
those upon the main: This part also abounded with lizards of a very
large size, some of which we took. We found also fresh water in two
places: One was a running stream, but that was a little brackish where I
tasted it, which was close to the sea; the other was a standing pool,
close behind the sandy beach, and this was perfectly sweet and good.
Notwithstanding the distance of this island from the main, we saw, to
our great surprise, that it was sometimes visited by the natives; for we
found seven or eight frames of their huts, and vast heaps of shells, the
fish of which we supposed had been their food. We observed that all
these huts were built upon eminences, and entirely exposed to the S.E.
contrary to those which we had seen upon the main; for they were all
built either upon the side of a hill, or under some bushes, which
afforded them shelter from the wind. From these huts, and their
situation, we concluded that at some seasons of the year the weather
here is invariably calm and fine; for the inhabitants have no boat which
can navigate the sea to so great a distance, in such weather as we had
from the time of our first coming upon the coast. As we saw no animals
upon this place but lizards, I called it _Lizard Island_; the other two
high islands, which lie at the distance of four or five miles from it,
are comparatively small; and near them lie three others smaller still,
and low, with several shoals or reefs, especially to the S.E. There is,
however, a clear passage from Cape Flattery to these islands, and even
quite to the outward reefs, leaving Lizard Island to the N.W. and the
others to the S.E.

At two in the afternoon, there being no hope of clear weather, we set
out from Lizard Island to return to the ship, and in our way landed upon
the low sandy island with trees upon it, which we had remarked in our
going out. Upon this island we saw an incredible number of birds,
chiefly sea-fowl: We found also the nest of an eagle with young ones,
which we killed; and the nest of some other bird, we knew not what, of a
most enormous size; it was built with sticks upon the ground, and was no
less than six-and-twenty feet in circumference, and two feet eight
inches high. We found also that this place had been visited by the
Indians, probably to eat turtle, many of which we saw upon the island,
and a great number of their shells, piled one upon another in different
places.

To this spot we gave the name of _Eagle Island_, and after leaving it,
we steered S.W. directly for the ship, sounding all the way, and we had
never less than eight fathom, nor more than fourteen; the same depth of
water that I had found between this and Lizard Island.

When I got on board, the master informed me that he had been down to the
low islands, between which and the main I had directed him to sound;
that he judged them to lie about three leagues from the main; that
without them he found from ten to fourteen fathom, and between them and
the main seven: But that a flat, which ran two leagues out from the
main, made this channel narrow. Upon one of these low islands he slept,
and was ashore upon others; and he reported, that he saw every where
piles of turtle-shells; and fins hanging upon the trees in many places,
with the flesh upon them, so recent, that the boats crew eat of them: He
saw also two spots, clear of grass, which appeared to have been lately
dug up, and from the shape and size of them, he conjectured they were
graves.

After considering what I had seen myself, and the report of the master,
I was of opinion that the passage to leeward would be dangerous, and
that, by keeping in with the main, we should run the risk of being
locked in by the great reef, and at last be compelled to return back in
search of another passage, by which, or any other accident that should
cause the same delay, we should infallibly lose our passage to the East
Indies, and endanger the ruin of the voyage, as we had now but little
more than three months provisions on board at short allowance.

Having stated this opinion, and the facts and appearances upon which it
was founded, to the officers, it was unanimously agreed, that the best
thing we could do would be to quit the coast altogether, till we could
approach it with less danger.

In the morning, therefore, at break of day, we got under sail, and stood
out N.E. for the north-west end of Lizard Island, leaving Eagle Island
to windward, and some other islands and shoals to the leeward, and
having the pinnace a-head to ascertain the depth of water in every part
of our course. In this channel we had from nine to fourteen fathom. At
noon, the north-west end of Lizard Island bore E.S.E. distant one mile;
our latitude, by observation, was 14 deg. 38', and our depth of water
fourteen fathom. We had a steady gale at S.E. and by two o'clock we just
fetched to windward of one of the channels or openings in the outer
reef, which I had seen from the island. We now tacked, and made a short
trip to the S.W. while the master, in the pinnace, examined the channel:
He soon made the signal for the ship to follow, and in a short time she
got safe out. As soon as we had got without the breakers, we had no
ground with one hundred and fifty fathom, and found a large sea rolling
in from the S.E. a certain sign that neither land nor shoals were near
us in that direction.

Our change of situation was now visible in every countenance, for it was
most sensibly felt in every breast: We had been little less than three
months entangled among shoals and rocks, that every moment threatened
us with destruction; frequently passing our nights at anchor within
hearing of the surge that broke over them; sometimes driving towards
them even while our anchors were out, and knowing that if by any
accident, to which an almost continual tempest exposed us, they should
not hold, we must in a few minutes inevitably perish. But now, after
having sailed no less than three hundred and sixty leagues, without once
having a man out of the chains heaving the lead, even for a minute,
which perhaps never happened to any other vessel, we found ourselves in
an open sea, with deep water, and enjoyed a flow of spirits, which was
equally owing to our late dangers and our present security: Yet the very
waves, which by their swell convinced us that we had no rocks or shoals
to fear, convinced us also that we could not safely put the same
confidence in our vessel as before she had struck; for the blows she
received from them so widened her leaks, that she admitted no less than
nine inches water an hour, which, considering the state of our pumps,
and the navigation that was still before us, would have been a subject
of more serious consideration to people whose danger had not so lately
been so much more imminent.

The passage or channel, through which we passed into the open sea beyond
the reef, lies in latitude 14 deg. 32' S. and may always be known by the
three high islands within it, which I have called the _Islands of
Direction_, because by these a stranger may find a safe passage through
the reef quite to the main. The channel lies from Lizard Island N.E. 1/2
N. distant three leagues, and is about one-third of a mile broad, and
not more in length. Lizard Island, which is, as I have before observed,
the largest and the northermost of the three, affords safe anchorage
under the north-west side, fresh water, and wood for fuel. The low
islands and shoals also which lie between it and the main abound with
turtle and fish, which may probably be caught in all seasons of the
year, except when the weather is very tempestuous; so that, all things
considered, there is not perhaps a better place for ships to refresh at
upon the whole coast than this island. And before I dismiss it, I must
observe, that we found upon it, as well as upon the beach in and about
Endeavour River, bamboos, cocoa-nuts, pumice-stone, and the seeds of
plants which are not the produce of this country, and which it is
reasonable to suppose are brought from the eastward by the trade-winds.
The islands which were discovered by Quiros, and called Australia del
Espiritu Santa, lie in this parallel, but how far to the eastward cannot
now be ascertained: In most charts they are placed in the same longitude
with this country, which, as appears by the account of his voyage that
has been published, he never saw; for that places his discoveries no
less than two-and-twenty degrees to the eastward of it.[85]

[Footnote 85: The islands form part of what is now called New Hebrides.
We shall have occasion to speak of them when we treat of a subsequent
voyage, it is needless to say a word about them at present.--E.]

As soon as we were without the reef, we brought-to, and having hoisted
in the boats, we stood off and on upon a wind all night; for I was not
willing to run to leeward till I had a whole day before me. In the
morning, at daybreak, Lizard Island bore S. 15 E. distant ten leagues,
and we then made sail and stood away N.N.W. 1/2 W. till nine o'clock,
when we stood N.W. 1/2 N. having the advantage of a fresh gale at S.E.
At noon, our latitude, by observation, was I3 deg. 46' S. and at this time
we had no land in sight. At six in the evening we shortened sail and
brought the ship to, with her head to the N.E.; and at six in the
morning made sail and steered west, in order to get within sight of the
land, that I might be sure not to overshoot the passage, if a passage
there was, between this land and New Guinea. At noon, our latitude, by
observation, was 13 deg. 2' S., longitude 216 deg. W.; which was 1 deg. 23' W. of
Lizard Island: At this time we had no land in sight; but a little before
one o'clock, we saw high land from the masthead, bearing W.S.W. At two,
we saw more land to the N.W. of that we had seen before: It appeared in
hills, like islands; but we judged it to be a continuation of the main
land. About three, we discovered breakers between the land and the ship,
extending to the southward farther than we could see; but to the north
we thought we saw them terminate abreast of us. What we took for the end
of them in this direction, however, soon appeared to be only an opening
in the reef; for we presently saw them again, extending northward beyond
the reach of our sight. Upon this we hauled close upon a wind, which was
now at E.S.E. and we had scarcely trimmed our sails before it came to
E. by N. which was right upon the reef, and consequently made our
clearing it doubtful. At sun-set the northermost part of it that was in
sight bore from us N. by E. and was two or three leagues distant; this
however being the best tack to clear it, we kept standing to the
northward with all the sail we could set till midnight; when, being
afraid of standing too far in this direction, we tacked and stood to the
southward, our run from sun-set to this time being six leagues N. and N.
by E. When we had stood about two miles S.S.E. it fell calm. We had
sounded several times during the night, but had no bottom with one
hundred and forty fathom, neither had we any ground now with the same
length of line; yet, about four in the morning, we plainly heard the
roaring of the surf, and at break of day saw it foaming to a vast
height, at not more than a mile's distance. Our distress now returned
upon us with double force; the waves, which rolled in upon the reef,
carried us towards it very fast; we could reach no ground with an
anchor, and had not a breath of wind for the sail. In this dreadful
situation, no resource was left us but the boats; and to aggravate our
misfortune the pinnace was under repair: The long-boat and yawl,
however, were put into the water, and sent a-head to tow, which, by the
help of our sweeps abaft, got the ship's head round to the northward;
which, if it could not prevent our destruction, might at least delay it.
But it was six o'clock before this was effected, and we were not then a
hundred yards from the rock upon which the same billow which washed the
side of the ship, broke to a tremendous height the very next time it
rose; so that between us and destruction there was only a dreary valley,
no wider than the base of one wave, and even now the sea under us was
unfathomable, at least no bottom was to be found with a hundred and
twenty fathom. During this scene of distress the carpenter had found
means to patch up the pinnace, so that she was hoisted out, and sent
a-head, in aid of the other boats, to tow; but all our efforts would
have been ineffectual, if, just at this crisis of our fate, a light air
of wind had not sprung up, so light, that at any other time we should
not have observed it, but which was enough to turn the scale in our
favour, and, in conjunction with the assistance which was afforded us by
the boats, to give the ship a perceptible motion obliquely from the
reef. Our hopes now revived; but in less than ten minutes it was again a
dead calm, and the ship was again driven towards the breakers, which
were not now two hundred yards distant. The same light breeze, however,
returned before we had lost all the ground it had enabled us to gain,
and lasted about ten minutes more. During this time we discovered a
small opening in the reef, at about the distance of a quarter of a mile:
I immediately sent one of the mates to examine it, who reported that its
breadth was not more than the length of the ship, but that within it
there was smooth water: This discovery seemed to render our escape
possible, and that was all, by pushing the ship through the opening,
which was immediately attempted. It was uncertain indeed whether we
could reach it; but if we should succeed thus far, we made no doubt of
being able to get through: In this however we were disappointed, for
having reached it by the joint assistance of our boats and the breeze,
we found that in the mean time it had become high water, and to our
great surprise we met the tide of ebb rushing out of it like a
mill-stream. We gained, however, some advantage, though in a manner
directly contrary to our expectations: We found it impossible to go
through the opening, but the stream that prevented us, carried us out
about a quarter of a mile: It was too narrow for us to keep in it
longer; yet this tide of ebb so much assisted the boats, that by noon we
had got an offing of near two miles. We had, however, reason to despair
of deliverance, even if the breeze, which had now died away, should
revive, for we were still embayed in the reef; and the tide of ebb being
spent, the tide of flood, notwithstanding our utmost efforts, again
drove the ship into the bight. About this time, however, we saw another
opening, near a mile to the westward, which I immediately sent the first
lieutenant, Mr Hicks, in the small boat to examine: In the mean time we
struggled hard with the flood, sometimes gaining a little, and sometimes
losing; but every man still did his duty, with as much calmness and
regularity as if no danger had been near. About two o'clock, Mr Hicks
returned with an account that the opening was narrow and dangerous, but
that it might be passed: The possibility of passing it was sufficient
encouragement to make the attempt, for all danger was less imminent than
that of our present situation. A light breeze now sprung up at E.N.E.
with which, by the help of our boats, and the very tide of flood that
without an opening would have been our destruction, we entered it, and
were hurried through with amazing rapidity, by a torrent that kept us
from driving against either side of the channel, which was not more than
a quarter of a mile in breadth. While we were shooting this gulph, our
soundings were from thirty to seven fathom, very irregular, and the
ground at bottom very foul.