Transcription

New Guinea
[margin] August 1770[/margin]
& by this time we had shallows water from 10 to 5 fa.om upon which I made the [???maces] signal to edge down to it, but she not going far enough we sent the yawl to sound in it & at the same time haul'd off down upon a wind with the ship until 4 at which time we had run 6 miles but did not de[e]pen our water any time We then edged away SW 4 miles more but finding still shoal water we bro.t the  [K??lle] the boats on board by signal, hoisted them in then haul'd off shore upon a wind being at this time about 3 or 4 miles from the land. The yawl found only 3 fa.om water in the place where I sent her to wind, which place I weather'd about 1/2 a mile, between 1 & 2 we passed a bay or inlet before which lies a small island that seems to shelter it from the southerly winds, but I very much doubt there being water behind it for shipping. I would not attempt it because the SE trade wind blows right in & we have not as yet had any land breezes - we stretched off to sea until '12 oClock at which time we were 10 or 11 leag.s from the land had defin'd our water to 29 fa.om we now tack'd & stood in until 2 oClock by when being in 6/7 fa.om we tack'd & lay her head off until 'daylight, at which time we saw the land bearing NWbW dist.ce ab.t 4 leag.s. we now made sail & steer'd WSW & then [?SW] but coming into 51/2 fa.om, we haul'd off SW until we defin'd our water to 8 fa.om. we then kept away WbS & W having 9 fa.om & the sand just in sight from the deck which we judged not above 3 or 4 Leagues. off as it is every where exceeding low. At noon we where by obsevra.n in the Lat.de of 8°:38' S Long.de 222:34W, St Bartholomew Isle bore N by E dist.e 74 miles.
Friday 31st. Between 12 & 1 in the pm, steer'd WNW in which time we shoaled our water from 8 to 51/2 which I thought was little enough & therefore kept away again W. & even defin'd it to 7 fa.om w.ch depth we kept until '6 having the land just in sight from the deck. at this time the Western Extream bore [?] distant about 4 leag.s & seem'd to end in a point & turn away to the
[margin] C: St Augustine[/margin]
Northward we took it to be Point St Augustine or Walsche Casp Lat.de 8°:24' S Lon.de 222°:55' W. we now shortened sail & haul'd off SSW & SbW having the wind at SE & SEbE a gentle breeze, we stood off 16 miles having from 7 to 27 fa.om deepening gradually as we ran off at midnight we slacked & stood in until daylight at which time we could see no land & yet we had only 51/2 fa.om. we now steer'd NW having the same depth of water until near 4 oClock when we began to deepen with water to 61/2 & 7 fa.om. by this I thought that we were far enough to the westw.d of the cape & might haul to the Northward with safety, which we now did having the wind at NEbE a light breeze by noon we had increased our water to 9 fa.om & were by observ.n in the Lat.de of 8:10S w.ch was 10 miles to the northwd. of that given by the log by w.ch I conjectur'd that we had net with a strong curr.t settling round the Cape not only to the Northw.d but to the Westwd. also: otherwise we ought to have seen the land w.ch we did not

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