Fresh gales from the SSW with Squally rainy W^r with which we stood to the Westward. in the evening some people thought they saw the appearence of land to the Northward    but this appear'd so improbable that I who was not on deck at this time was not acquainted with it untill dark, when I order'd them to sound but found no ground with 80 f^m upon which we concluded that no land was near but day light in the Morning shew'd us our error proved this to be a Mistake by shewing us the land at the Distance of a bout 2 Leagues off. We had now the wind at SE, blowing fresh right upon the land    When we made the land we were standing to the westward but thinking the other the best tack to get off on we wore and hauld off to Eastward and by now had got an offing of a bout 4 Leagues  the land at this time extending from NEBN to WSW   This part of the Coast of Africa that we fell in with lies in about the Latitude of 34²°.540' and Longitude of 331°..29'W^t / 28°.. 31'E^t: and near to what is call'd in the Charts Point Natall, it was a steep cragy point very much broke and look'd as if the high Cragy rocks were Islands.    to the NE of this point the land in gener^l appeared to rise sloaping from the Sea _^^{to a moderate height} the shore Alternately Rocks and Sand,    About 2 Leagues to the NE of the point, appeared to be the Mouth of a River which probably may be that of S^t Johns — At this time the weather was very Hazey so that we had but a very imperfect View of the land which did not appear to great advantage —

Voyaging Accounts