aground, and there was fifteen feet forward, and six fathom a very
little way astern. The master told me, that at the last cast of the
lead, before we were aground, he had thirteen fathom; so that the water
shoaled at once no less than sixty-three feet.

This bank, which has not been mentioned by any navigator who has passed
the streight, is extremely dangerous; especially as it lies directly in
the fair way between Cape Virgin Mary and the first narrow, and just in
the middle between the south and north shores. It is more than two
leagues long, and full as broad; in many places also it is very steep.
When we were upon it, Point Possession bore N.E. distant three leagues;
and the entrance of the narrow S.W. distant two leagues. I afterwards
saw many parts of it dry, and the sea breaking very high over other
parts of it, where the water was shallow. A ship that should ground upon
this shoal in a gale of wind, would probably be very soon beaten to
pieces.

About six o'clock in the morning, we anchored in fifteen fathom, the
shoal bearing N.N.W.1/2 W. at the distance of about half a mile. At noon,
we weighed with a light breeze at N.E. and worked with the ebb tide till
two; but finding the water shoal, we anchored again in six fathom and a
half, at about the distance of half a mile from the south side of the
shoal; the Asses' Ears then bearing N.W. by W. distant four leagues, and
the south point of the entrance of the first Narrow W.S.W. distant about
three leagues. At this time the opening of the narrow was shut in, and
upon sending out the boats to sound, they discovered a channel between
the shoal and the south shore of the streight. The Tamar in the mean
time, as she was endeavouring to come near us, was very near going on
shore, having once got into three fathom, but soon after came to an
anchor in the channel between the shoal and the north shore.