August 19.

At daybreak Caffarelli Island bore South-South-East; and shortly afterwards we had the satisfaction of seeing Brue Reef; it appeared to be partly dry but of small extent.

We passed within half a mile of the dry rock that lies a mile and a half from the west end of Caffarelli Island and afterwards endeavoured to steer between the range of islands, of which Caffarelli is the northernmost, and a group of rocky isles, marked 33; but finding we could not succeed from the scanty direction of the wind, then blowing a fresh breeze from South-East, we bore up round the west side of the latter and then steered by the wind towards a group of which the island 40 is the principal.  On approaching 40 there appeared to be a channel round its south-end; but afterwards observing the sea breaking in the direction of our course, we tacked off to pass round the west extremity of the group, towards two small low islands, 50 and 51, that were seen in the distance bearing about South 84 degrees West.  The tide, having been before in our favour, was now against us, and, setting with great strength, drove us near the rocks that front the islands to the northward of Island 40; the wind was however sufficiently strong to enable us to clear the dangerous situation we found ourselves in, but soon afterwards it fell to a light air and we were carried by the tide rapidly towards the low rocky extremity of the islets, which we were nearly thrown upon, when a breeze suddenly sprung up again from the South-East and enabled us to clear this impending danger.  We were now drifting to the South by East through a wide channel, sounding in between fifty and sixty fathoms, rocky bottom.  Had the evening been less advanced and the wind favourable, we could have run through, and taken our chance of finding either anchorage or an open sea; and although this would certainly have been hazarding a great risk, yet it was of very little consequence in what part of the archipelago we spent the night, as the spots which we might consider to be the most dangerous might possibly be the least so.  We had however no choice; we were perfectly at the mercy of the tide, and had only to await patiently its ebbing to drift us out as it carried us in.

By our calculations high-water should have taken place at a quarter past four o’clock; every minute therefore after that time was passed by us most anxiously.  Every now and then we were in the midst of the most violent ripplings and whirlpools, which sometimes whirled the vessel round and round, to the danger of our masts.  Five o’clock at last arrived and the tide-eddies ceased, but the stream continued to run until a quarter of an hour afterwards, when at last the brig began to drift out slowly.  To add now to the dilemma and the danger we were in a breeze sprung up against us:  had it continued calm we should have been drifted back through the deepest part of the channel, over the same ground that the flood had carried us