At four in the afternoon we saw the island, which, at six, extended from N.E. 1/2 E. to S.E. by S. about eight leagues distant.  In this situation we tacked, and sounded; but a line of a hundred and sixty fathoms did not reach the ground.  I stood off till midnight, then stood in again; and at half-past six we were within three leagues of the land, which extended from N. by E. 1/2 E. to S. 1/2 E.; each extreme about seven leagues distant.  Seeing no signs of a harbour, and the weather being still unsettled, I tacked, and stretched off S.W. having then fifty-five fathoms water, over a muddy bottom.

That part of the land which we were so near when we tacked, is of a moderate height, though in some places it rises higher within.  It was diversified with a great many rising grounds and small hills; many of which were entirely covered with tall, straight trees; and others, which were lower, and grew in spots like coppices; but the interspaces, and sides of many of the rising grounds, were clear.  The whole, though it might make an agreeable summer prospect, had now an uncomfortable appearance; as the bare grounds towards the coast were all covered with snow, which seemed to be of a considerable depth between the little hills and rising grounds; and in several places, toward the sea, might easily have been mistaken, at a distance, for white cliffs.  The snow on the rising grounds was thinner spread; and farther inland, there was no appearance of any; from whence we might, perhaps, conclude, that what we saw toward the sea, had fallen during the night; which was colder than any we had experienced since our arrival on the coast; and we had sometimes a kind of sleet.  The coast seemed every where almost straight, without any opening or inlet; and it appeared to terminate in a kind of white sandy beach; though some on board thought that appearance was owing to the snow.  Each extreme of the land that was now before us, seemed to shoot out into a point.  The northern one was the same which we had first seen on the 7th; and on that account I called it Cape Perpetua.  It lies in the latitude of 44 deg. 6’ N., and in the longitude of 235 deg. 57’E.  The southern extreme before us, I named Cape Gregory.[3] Its latitude is 43 deg. 30’, and its longitude 235 deg. 57’ E. It is a remarkable point; the land of it rising almost directly from the sea to a tolerable height, while that on each side of it is low.

[Footnote 3:  In our calendar, the 7th of March is distinguished by the name of Perpetua M, and the 12th by that of Gregory B.—­D.]

I continued standing off till one in the afternoon.  Then I tacked, and stood in, hoping to have the wind off from the land in the night.  But in this I was mistaken; for at five o’clock it began to run to the west and south-west, which, obliged me once more to stand out to sea.  At this time, Cape Perpetua bore N.E. by N.; and the farthest land we could see to the south of Cape Gregory bore S.