At night, again, it was almost calm, and we were near the shore. We designed to tack about, but were hurried, by an eddy-tide, upon the breakers, off a point of land called, by us. Point Pococke, before we were aware of it, which threw us into a panic, and occasioned great confusion. Not having room to anchor, we hoisted out the pinnace to tow her off: we thought we had seen a whale, but it proved to be a rock, and we struck upon it twice. We got clear of it again, and streamed the buoy, but luckily did not let go the anchor. Soon after we saw several small islands, which we named Cavalle Islands. We passed two points of land which formed a bay, to which we gave the appellation of Doubtless Bay; and the two points which formed it were called by us Bay Point, and Knuckle Point. We were now got into a very long open bay, which, from the appearance of the country, we named Sandy Bay.

We beat to windward four days, and made but little way, having continual breezes from the west; and, on the 19th[sic], many canoes came off to us, of which we bought a good quantity of fish. The land hereabout looked very barren, and tends away to the north.

On the 10th, the wind was N. W. we beat to windward, and made but little way. The land in sight was very low, and very barren, being mostly sandy, having here and there a few bushes, but scarce a tree to be seen, yet it appeared to be inhabited.

On the 13th, the N.W. wind still prevailing, we could do nothing but lie on and off the land, without making any way. It blew very hard, and we had some fierce squalls, attended with heavy showers of rain, which drove us back to where we had been four days before.

Voyaging Accounts