Account of a Voyage of Discovery Part 10

The tide rose and fell fifteen feet and a half; it was low water at 8 P.M., and high water at 2.30 A.M. This was two and a half days before full moon.

The Alceste's boats were sent to sound in the eastern quarter, but they found shoal water every where.

[Sidenote: Proceed to the south-westward.]

5th of September.--At 11 A.M. we got under weigh and stood to the south-west among the islands, carrying seven, eight, nine, ten, to fifteen fathoms, and occasionally deepening to seventeen fathoms. At 4.45 we observed in longitude 126 24-1/2' east, and lat.i.tude 35 52'

north at this time.

[Sidenote: Bearings.]

Two islands bore north half east, seven miles.

A remarkable small black island, west 32, north four miles.

Another, west 22 north, seven miles.

A range of islands, from east 10 north, to east 16 south.

A long island, from south 25 east, to south 11 east.

The islands off which we anch.o.r.ed on the 2nd instant bearing about north 10 west.

Two islands, from south 16 west, to south 25 west.

[Sidenote: Main land.]

The main land from south south-east to north-east, high and rugged.

We had a sea breeze to-day, and fine weather. Variation 2 10' westerly.

We ran on by moonlight till 11 P.M., and then anch.o.r.ed among the islands. Lat.i.tude, observed by Polaris 35 26' north. Longitude, at anchor by chronometer next morning 126 23' 22" east. From this spot the main land was seen from east 12 north, to south 20 east.

[Sidenote: Bearings.]

A rock, west 7 south, four miles.

An island, from west 15 north, to west 31 north, 4-1/2'.

Three islands, extending from west 36 south, to west 45 south, 3'.

Two distant ones in the same direction.

Cl.u.s.ter of islands, from west 64 south, to west 84-1/2 south.

Large island, north 12 west, ten or twelve miles.

A cl.u.s.ter of islands, from north 15 east, to north 28 east.

Two distant islands, north 32 east.

Two others, north 42 east.

[Sidenote: Channels between the islands generally deep.]

6th of September.--Weighed and stood to the southward. At noon observed in 35 17' north, longitude 126 28-1/2' east, being then in the centre of a semicircle of islands, extending from north-east to south-east and south-west. During the forenoon the flood tide set strong to the north north-east against us. Most of the channels between the islands were deep, but to-day we tried one which had not more than five and a half fathoms. At 4.30. took sights, when a long bluff island bore east north-east a quarter of a mile. Longitude 126 6' 37" east; lat.i.tude 35 6' north. This island is the most westerly of the range of islands which lie between the lat.i.tude 35 and 36 north. High and connected land was faintly discernible to the eastward. The soundings were generally from nine to fifteen fathoms, deepening in most cases on approaching the bluff islands.

[Sidenote: Flood tide runs to the northward.]

[Sidenote: Windsor Castle.]

[Sidenote: Bearings.]

7th of September.--We anch.o.r.ed last night about ten o'clock in seventeen fathoms; the flood tide had made; it ran north nearly three miles an hour, till four A.M. when we got under weigh, and drifted fast to the southward with the ebb. At 9.30. got sights, which gave longitude 125 52' 45" east, lat.i.tude 34 42' north; at this time a very remarkable hill on an island bore east 8 south; it has the appearance of a turret or large chimney. The other bearings from this spot were--

Western extreme of a large island stretching west north-west, and east south-east; north 27, east 4 or 5'.

Round rock, north 18 east, 8'.

Cl.u.s.ter of islands from north 50 west, to north 74 west.

Round bluff small island, west 9 south.

Large island, west 42 south, 7 or eight leagues.

Two small distant islands, west 53 south, 10' leagues.

Small island, south 11 east.

[Sidenote: Soundings.]

[Sidenote: Variation of the compa.s.s.]

Extreme of distant land, south 37 east: besides, as usual, innumerable distant islands. The flood tide made against us between ten and eleven.

The soundings this morning have been from twenty-three to nineteen fathoms. The weather extremely hot and the water smooth. The ebb made about four, and there being no wind, it carried us rapidly towards some rocks joining two islands. We anch.o.r.ed in twenty-one fathoms. The variation of the compa.s.s 2-1/2 westerly. The bearings at anchor this evening were as follows:

[Sidenote: Bearings.]

Small island, south 3 22' east.

Large island, from south to south 20-1/2 east.

A small island, south 22 east.

Another, south 28-1/2 east.

High bluff island, south 31 east.

Island from south 9 east, to south 18 west.