As soon as we were without the island, we steered S. by W., for the southernmost point of the continent in sight, till eight o’clock in the evening, when, having shoaled the water from six fathoms to less than four, I tacked, and stood to the northward, into five fathoms, and then spent the night plying off and on.  At the time we tacked, the southernmost point of land, the same which is mentioned above, and was named Point Shallow-Water, bore S. 1/2 E., seven leagues distant.

We resumed our course to the southward at day-break next morning, but shoal water obliged us to haul more to the westward.  At length, we got so far advanced upon the bank, that we could not hold a N.N.W. course, meeting sometimes with only four fathoms.  The wind blowing fresh at E.N.E. it was high time to look for deep water, and to quit a coast, upon which we could no longer navigate with any degree of safety.  I therefore hauled the wind to the northward, and gradually deepened the water to eight fathoms.  At the same time we hauled the wind, we were at least twelve leagues, from the continent, and nine to the westward of Stuart’s Island.  No land was seen to the southward of Point Shallow-Water, which I judge to lie in the latitude of 63 deg..  So that, between this latitude and Shoal Ness, in latitude 60 deg., the coast is entirely unexplored.  Probably, it is accessible only to boats, or very small vessels; or at least, if there be channels for large vessels, it would require some time to find them; and I am of opinion, that they must be looked for near the coast.  From the mast-head, the sea within us appeared to be chequered with shoals; the water was very much discoloured and muddy, and considerably fresher than at any of the places where we had lately anchored.  From this I inferred, that a considerable river runs into the sea in this unknown part.[1]

[Footnote 1:  Mr Arrowsmith has filled up the coast betwixt the two points now mentioned, and supplied it also with rivers, according to the conjecture of Captain Cook.  But it is obvious, that this is not sufficient authority; and therefore, unless better be given, Mr Coxe seems to have done more correctly, in indicating the space by a dotted line, the usual mark of an unexplored region.—­E.]

As soon as we got into eight fathoms water, I steered to the westward, and afterward more southerly, for the land discovered on the 5th, which, at noon the next day, bore S.W. by W., ten or eleven leagues distant.  At this time we had a fresh gale at north, with showers of hail and snow at intervals, and a pretty high sea; so that we got clear of the shoals but just in time.  As I now found that the land before us lay too far to the westward to be Anderson’s Island, I named it Clerke’s Island.  It lies in the latitude of 63 deg. 15’, and in the longitude of 190 deg. 30’.  It seemed to be a pretty large island, in which are four or more hills, all connected by low ground; so that, at a distance, it looks like a group of islands.  Near its east part lies a small island, remarkable by having upon it three elevated rocks.  Not only the greater island, but this small spot, was inhabited.[2]