Having beat to windward for several days without gaining any way, with the weather gloomy and very cold, on Saturday, the 24th, we had a fresh breeze from the north, which carried us round the outermost point, which we called Cape Saunders: beyond which the land tended away to the S. W.

The next day, the 25th, we had variable winds and calms till the afternoon; and then we had the wind from the S. W. which was directly against us: it blew very violently, and we were obliged to go under fore and main sails; and tore our fore-sail in pieces. The land thereabout was pretty high, indifferently well covered with trees, but had no signs of inhabitants.

On the 27th, it continued blowing hard from the S. W. we lay to all day: at length the wind abated, but continued still in our teeth. Thermometer 46.

On the 4th of March, after having beat about near a week, by the favour of a breeze from the north, we got sight of land again, which tended away to the S. W. and by W. and appeared to be of great extent. We had a continual rolling swell from the S. W. and saw the appearance of a harbour, which we named Moulineux's Harbour, after the name of the master of our ship. We had light breezes and calms till the ninth; and, at the dawn of that day, we narrowly escaped running the ship upon a ledge, or parcel of craggy rocks; some of which were but just seen above water. They were luckily discovered by the midshipman's going to the mast head. The breeze being moderate, we put the helm a-lee, and were delivered from this imminent danger by the good providence of God. The land, which we then saw at a considerable distance, seemed to be an island, having a great opening between it and the land which we had passed before; but, the captain designing to go round, we steered for the south point, hoping it was the last. This large opening we named South-East Bay; on the N. W. side of which there is a small long island, that we called Bench Island. We stood out to sea, but, meeting with contrary winds, we beat to windward for a considerable time: at length, the wind coming fair, we steered westerly, and, unexpectedly, found ourselves between two large shoals, which had some rocks upon them; but we fortunately escaped them. We called these shoals The Traps. Toward night, we got so far round as to make the point bear N.N.E. and then we saw some kind of stuff upon it that glittered very much, but could not discover what it was composed of. This day the weather was more moderate than it had been for many days; and being one of the inferior officers birth day, it was celebrated by a peculiar kind of festival; a dog was killed that had been bred on board; the hind quarters were roasted; and a pye was made of the fore quarters, into the crust of which they put the fat; and of the viscera they made a haggis.

Voyaging Accounts