On the 10th, we had a fine breeze from the north, and passed a high sloping land, covered with wood, where we had seen some smoke. A few leagues farther from this point, which we called Woody Point, we saw a small flat island, or rock, which was almost covered with gannets, or soland geese; and therefore called it Gannet Island. Soon after we passed a point of land, at which time, seeing a number of albatrosses on the sea, we named it Albatross Point: This point stretched out a great way, and formed a small harbour. As we proceeded on our course, the land, though level, appeared much higher, and pretty well cloathed with verdure. We saw a point of land which we called, from its appearance, Sugar-Loaf Point, near which are several small islands; and, from their vicinity to the point, we named them Sugar-Loaf Isles. The weather being still gloomy, and the wind veering about to the S. W. we were obliged to stand off and on the land.

On the 11th, in the evening, we discovered a very peaked hill, which appeared to be as high as the peak of Teneriffe; [see pl. XXII.] and all the bottom part of it was covered with clouds in the same manner; we named it Mount Egmont.

The next morning, on the 12th, we approached nearer to it, but could not see the top of it, which was lost in the clouds. From this peak the land declined gradually to a point on each side, one ending in the sea, and the other stretching to the coast north of it, which was, in general, low and level, but covered with trees, as were also both sides of the peak. When we were abreast of it we had very heavy showers of rain, with thunder and lightening; and, at length, the peak itself was totally inveloped in darkness. In the night we saw a large fire, The point off this peak we called Cape Egmont.

Voyaging Accounts