On the 25th, in the forenoon, we crossed the tropic of Capricorn. The land appeared very desolate, being little else than sand and rocks, parcelled out into several islands and ragged points. We came to at night, in a sort of bay formed by the turning of the land, and found a considerable tide flowing into it. There was the appearance of an opening in the land, which may possibly be the mouth of a river.

On the 26th, we got in among a parcel of islands, to get clear of which we proposed going by a passage to the north-west, which was next to the main; but, finding our water shoal very much, we sent some men in a boat a-head of us, to found, and came into three and two and a half fathom water. They returned with an account that there was hardly water enough; so we tacked about and stood out. The next morning, we had a fine breeze, and went through a passage to the north-east, between two islands: in this found, the tide fell thirteen feet. Our people, who went off in the boat, saw many of the natives upon one of the islands, and they hallooed to them: they were of the same sort as those we had seen before. On the land round about, we saw both high and low ridges, with some peaks: part of it was well covered; though there appeared some large patches of white sand. Latitude 22° 5°.

On the 28th, resolving to keep the main close aboard, which continued tending away to the west, we got into another cluster of islands; where we were much alarmed, having but three fathoms water, on a sudden, in a ripling tide: we put about, and hoisted out the boats, to seek for deeper water; after which, as it was very gloomy and blew fresh, we kept an easy sail to the west, sounding all the way; and, at night, came to the entrance of a bay. This cluster of islands is very much variegated; some of them are high, others low; some exceedingly broken and mere barren rocks, others well cloathed. Part of the main land is very high, and has extensive flats, covered with trees. Latitude 22° °.

Voyaging Accounts