According, August the 23rd, at 5 in the morning we ran out, having a pretty fresh land-breeze at south-south-east.  By 8 o’clock we were got out, and very seasonably; for before 9 the seabreeze came on us very strong, and increasing, we took in our topsails and stood off under 2 courses and a mizzen, this being as much sail as we could carry.  The sky was clear, there being not one cloud to be seen; but the horizon appeared very hazy, and the sun at setting the night before, and this morning at rising, appeared very red.  The wind continued very strong till 12, then it began to abate:  I have seldom met with a stronger breeze.  These strong seabreezes lasted thus in their turns 3 or 4 days.  They sprang up with the sunrise; by 9 o’clock they were very strong, and so continued till noon, when they began to abate; and by sunset there was little wind, or a calm till the land-breezes came; which we should certainly have in the morning about 1 or 2 o’clock.  The land-breezes were between the south-south-west and south-south-east.  The seabreezes between the east-north-east and north-north-east.  In the night while calm we fished with hook and line and caught good store of fish, namely, snapper, bream, old-wives, and dogfish.  When these last came we seldom caught any others; for if they did not drive away the other fish, yet they would be sure to keep them from taking our hooks, for they would first have them themselves, biting very greedily.  We caught also a monkfish, of which I brought home the picture.  See Fish Figure 1.

On the 25th of August we still coasted alongshore, that we might the better see any opening; kept sounding, and had about 20 fathom clean sand.  The 26th day, being about 4 leagues offshore, the water began gradually to shoal from 20 to 14 fathom.  I was edging in a little towards the land, thinking to have anchored; but presently after the water decreased almost at once, till we had but 5 fathom.  I durst therefore adventure no farther, but steered out the same way that we came in; and in a short time had 10 fathom (being then about 4 leagues and a half from the shore) and even soundings.  I steered away east-north-east coasting along as the land lies.  This day the seabreezes began to be very moderate again, and we made the best of our way alongshore, only in the night edging off a little for fear of shoals.  Ever since we left Shark’s Bay we had fair clear weather, and so for a great while still.

The 27th day we had 20 fathom water all night, yet we could not see land till 1 in the afternoon from our topmast-head.  By 3 we could just discern land from our quarter-deck; we had then 16 fathom.  The wind was at north and we steered east by north, which is but one point in on the land; yet we decreased our water very fast; for at 4 we had but 9 fathom; the next cast but 7, which frighted us; and we then tacked instantly and stood off:  but in a short time the wind coming at north-west and west-north-west we tacked again, and steered north-north-east and then deepened our water again, and had all night from 15 to 20 fathom.