rocks close under our lee-bow, upon which the sea broke very high: We
had but just time to tack clear of them, and if the ship had missed
stays, every soul on board must inevitably have perished. These rocks
lie at a great distance from the south shore, and are about three
leagues to the north of Cape Upright. At nine the weather cleared a
little, and we saw the entrance of Long Reach, upon which we bore away,
keeping nearest the south shore, in hopes of finding an anchoring-place.
At ten we had strong gales and thick weather, with hard rain, and at
noon we were again abreast of Cape Monday, but could find no
anchoring-place, which, however, we continued to seek, still steering
along the south shore, and were soon after joined by the Tamar, who had
been six or seven leagues to the eastward of us all night. At six in the
evening we anchored in a deep bay, about three leagues to the eastward
of Cape Monday: We let go the anchor in five-and-twenty fathom, near an
island in the bottom of the bay; but before we could bring up the ship,
we were driven off, and the anchor took the ground in about fifty
fathom. The extreme points of the bay bore from N.W. to N.E. by E. and
the island W. 1/2 S. We veered to a whole cable, and the anchor was
about a cable's length from the nearest shore. In the night we had fresh
gales westerly, with sudden squalls and hard rain; but in the morning
the weather became more moderate, though it was still thick, and the
rain continued. As a great swell set into this place, and broke very
high upon the rocks, near which we lay, I got up the anchor, and warped
the ship to a bank where the Tamar was riding: We let go our anchor in
fourteen fathom, and moored with the stream anchor to the eastward, in
forty-five fathom. In the bottom of this bay there is a bason, at the
entrance of which there is but three fathom and a half at low water, but
within there is ten fathom, and room enough for six or seven sail to lie
where no wind can hurt them.