At noon on the 6th, we were nearly in the same situation as at noon on the day before:  In the afternoon we found the variation, by several azimuths and the amplitude, to be 15 deg. 10’ E. On the 7th at noon, we were in latitude 47 deg. 6’ S. and had made twelve miles easting during the last twenty-four hours.  We stood to the westward the remainder of this day, and all the next till sun-set, when the extremes of the land bore from N. by E. to W. distant about seven or eight leagues:  In this situation our depth of water was fifty-five fathom, and the variation by amplitude 16 deg. 29’ E. The wind now veered from the N. to the W., and as we had fine weather, and moon-light, we kept standing close upon the wind to the S.W. all night.  At four in the morning, we had sixty fathom water; and at day-light, we discovered under our bow a ledge of rocks, extending from S. by W. to W. by S. upon which the sea broke very high:  They were not more than three quarters of a mile distant, yet we had five-and-forty fathom water.  As the wind was at N.W. we could not now weather them, and as I was unwilling to run to leeward, I tacked and made a trip to the eastward; the wind however soon after coming to the northward, enabled us to get clear of all.  Our soundings, while we were passing within the ledge, were from thirty-five to forty-seven fathom, with a rocky bottom.

This ledge lies S.E. six leagues from the southermost part of the land, and S.E. by E. from some remarkable hills which stand near the shore:  About three leagues to the northward of it, there is another ledge, which lies full three leagues from the shore, and on which the sea broke in a dreadful surf.  As we passed these rocks to the north in the night, and discovered the others under our bow at break of day, it is manifest that our danger was imminent, and our escape critical in the highest degree:  From the situation of these rocks, so well adapted to catch unwary strangers, I called them the Traps.  Our latitude at noon was 47 deg. 26’ S. The land in sight, which had the appearance of an island, extended from N.E. by N. to N.W. by W. and seemed to be about five leagues distant from the main; the eastermost ledge of rocks bore S.S.E. distant one league and a half, and the northermost N.E. 1/2 E. distant about three leagues.  This land is high and barren, with nothing upon it but a few straggling shrubs, for not a single tree was to be seen; it was however remarkable for a number of white patches which I took to be marble, as they reflected the sun’s rays very strongly:  Other patches of the same kind we had observed in different parts of this country, particularly in Mercury Bay:  We continued to stand close upon a wind to the westward, and at sun-set the southermost point of land bore N. 38 E. distant four leagues, and the westermost land in sight bore N. 2 E. The point which lies in latitude 47 deg. 19’ S. longitude.192 deg. 12’ W. I named South Cape; the westermost land was a small island, lying off the point of the main.