no ground with ninety fathoms of line, Toward evening, the wind by degrees shifted round to the S., with which we still kept on to the W.S.W.; and at day-break of the 26th, we had the pleasure of descrying high land to the westward, which proved to be Japan.  At eight, it extended from N.W. to S. by W., distant three or four leagues.  A low flat cape bore N.W. 3/4 W., and seemed to make the S. part of the entrance of a bay.  Toward the S. extreme, a conical-shaped hill bore S. by W. 3/4 W. To the northward of this hill there appeared to be a very deep inlet, the N. side of the entrance into which is formed by a low point of land, and, as well as we could judge by our glasses, has a small island near it to the southward.

We stood on till nine, when we were within two leagues of the land, bearing W. 3/4 S., and had soundings of fifty-eight fathoms, with a bottom of very fine sand.  We now tacked and stood off; but the wind dying away, at noon we had got no farther than three leagues from the coast, which extended from N.W. by N. 3/4 W. to S. 1/2 E., and was, for the most part, bold and cliffy.  The low cape to the northward bore N.W. by W., six leagues distant; and the N. point of the inlet S. 3/4 W. The latitude, by observation, was 40 deg. 5’, and longitude 142 deg. 28’.  The northernmost land in sight, we judged to be the northern extremity of Japan.[97] It is lower than any other part; and, from the range of the high lands that were seen over it from the mast-head, the coast appeared evidently to incline round to the westward.  The N. point of the inlet we supposed to be Cape Nambu, and the town to be situated in a break of the high land, toward which the inlet seemed to direct itself[98].  The country is of a moderate height, consists of a double range of mountains; it abounds with wood, and has a pleasing variety of hills and dales.  We saw the smoke of several towns or villages, and many houses near the shore, in pleasant and cultivated situations.

During the calm, being willing to make the best use of our time, we put our fishing lines overboard, in sixty fathoms water, but without any success.  As this was the only amusement our circumstances admitted, the disappointment was always very sensibly felt, and made us look back with regret to the cod-banks of the dreary regions we had left, which had supplied us with so many wholesome meals, and, by the diversion they afforded, had given a variety to the wearisome succession of gales and calms, and the tedious repetition of the same nautical observations.  At two in the afternoon, the breeze freshened from the southward, and, by four, had brought us under close-reefed topsails, and obliged us to stand off to the S.E.  In consequence of this course, and the haziness of the weather, the land soon disappeared.  We kept on all night, and till eight the next morning, when the wind coming round to the N., and growing moderate, we made sail, and steered W.S.W., toward the land; but did not make