At one o’clock, being about two leagues distant from the shore, the extremes of three remarkable round hills bore from S.W. by W. to W.S.W.  At four, Cape Virgin Mary bore S.E. by S. distant about four leagues.  At eight, we were very near the Cape, and upon the point of it saw several men riding, who made signs for us to come on shore.  In about half an hour we anchored in a bay, close under the south side of the Cape, in ten fathom water, with a gravelly bottom.  The Swallow and store-ship anchored soon after between us and the Cape, which then bore N. by W. 1/2 W. and a low sandy point like Dungeness S. by W. From the Cape there runs a shoal, to the distance of about half a league, which may be easily known by the weeds that are upon it.  We found it high water at half an hour after eleven, and the tide rose twenty feet.

The natives continued abreast of the ship all night, making several great fires, and frequently shouting very loud.  As soon as it was light, on Wednesday morning the 17th, we saw great numbers of them in motion, who made signs for us to land.  About five o’clock I made the signal for the boats belonging to the Swallow and the Prince Frederick to come on board, and in the meantime hoisted out our own.  These boats being all manned and armed, I took a party of marines, and rowed towards the shore, having left orders with the master to bring the ship’s broad-side to bear upon the landing place, and to keep the guns loaded with round shot.  We reached the beach about six o’clock, and before we went from the boat, I made signs to the natives to retire to some distance:  They immediately complied, and I then landed with the Captain of the Swallow, and several of the officers:  The marines were drawn up, and the boats were brought to a grappling near the shore.  I then made signs to the natives to come near, and directed them to sit down in a semicircle, which they did with great order and cheerfulness.  When this was done, I distributed among them several knives, scissars, buttons, beads, combs, and other toys, particularly some ribbands to the women, which they received with a very becoming mixture of pleasure and respect.  Having distributed my presents, I endeavoured to make them understand that I had other things which I would part with, but for which I expected somewhat in return.  I shewed them some hatchets and bill-hooks, and pointed to some guanicoes, which happened to be near, and some ostriches which I saw dead among them; making signs at the same time I wanted to eat; but they either could not, or would not understand me:  For though they seemed very desirous of the hatchets and the bill-hooks, they did not give the least intimation that they would part with any provisions; no traffic therefore was carried on between us.

Each of these people, both men and women, had a horse, with a decent saddle, stirrups, and bridle.  The men had wooden spurs, except one, who had a large pair of such as are worn in Spain, brass stirrups, and a Spanish scymitar, without a scabbard; but notwithstanding these distinctions, he did not appear to have any authority over the rest; the women had no spurs.  The horses appeared to be well-made, and nimble, and were about fourteen hands high.  The people had also many dogs with them, which, as well as the horses, appeared to be of a Spanish breed.