At six in the evening, this mountain bore E. 2 deg.  N., and at eight we had no land in sight.  Concluding, therefore, that the coast of the continent had now taken a north-easterly direction, I ventured to steer the same course till one o’clock the next morning, when the watch on deck thought they saw land a-head.  Upon this we wore, and stood to the S.W. for two hours, and then resumed our course to the E.N.E.

At six o’clock, land was seen a-head, bearing S.E., about five leagues distant.  As we advanced, we raised more and more land, all connected, and seemingly in the direction of our course.  At noon, it extended from S.S.W. to E., the nearest part five or six leagues distant; Our latitude at this time was 55 deg. 21’, and our longitude 195 deg. 18’.  This coast is on the N.W. side of the volcano mountain, so that we must have seen it, if the weather had been tolerably clear.

At six in the evening, after having run eight leagues upon an E. by N. course from noon, we sounded, and found forty-eight fathoms, over a bottom of black sand.  Being at this time four leagues from the land, the eastern part in sight bore E.S.E., and appeared as a high round hummock, seemingly detached from the main.

Having continued to steer E.N.E. all night, at eight in the morning of the 4th, the coast was seen from S.S.W. to E. by S.; and at times we could see high land, covered with snow behind it.  Soon after it fell calm, and being in thirty fathoms water, we put over hooks and lines, and caught a good number of cod-fish.  At noon, having now a breeze from the east, and the weather being clear, we found ourselves six leagues from the land, which extended from S. by W. to E. by S. The hummock, seen the preceding evening, bore S.W. by S. ten leagues distant.  Our latitude was now 55 deg. 50’, and our longitude 197 deg. 3’.  A great hollow swell, from W.S.W., assured us that there was no main land near in that direction.  I stood to the N. till six in the afternoon, when the wind having veered to S.E., enabled us to steer E.N.E.  The coast lay in this direction, and at noon, the next day, was about four leagues distant.

On the 6th and 7th, the wind being northerly, we made but little progress.  At eight in the evening of the latter, we were in nineteen fathoms water, and about three or four leagues from the coast, which, on the 8th, extended from S.S.W. to E. by N., and was all low land, with a ridge of mountains behind it, covered with snow.  It is probable, that this low coast extends, some distance, to the S.W.; and that such places as we sometimes, took for inlets or bays, are only valleys between the mountains.

On the morning of the 9th, with a breeze at N.W., we steered E. by N., to get nearer the coast.  At noon, we were in the latitude of 57 deg. 49’, and in the longitude of 201 deg. 33’, and about two leagues from the land, which extended from S. by E. to E.N.E.; being all a low coast, with points shooting out in some places, which, from the deck, appeared like islands; but, from the mast-head, low land was seen to connect them.  In this situation, the depth of water was fifteen fathoms, the bottom a fine black sand.