A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 13Kerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 13
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
At four o'clock in the morning, the wind freshened, and at nine blew a
storm; so that we were obliged to bring the ship to under her mainsail.
Our course made good between noon this day and yesterday was S.S.W. 1/2
W. distance eleven miles. The Three Kings bore N. 27 E. distant
seventy-seven miles. The gale continued all this day, and till two the
next morning, when it fell, and began to veer to the southward and S.W.
where it fixed about four, when we made sail and steered east in for
the land, under the fore-sail and main-sail; but the wind then rising,
and by eight o'clock being increased to a hurricane, with a prodigious
sea, we were obliged to take in the main-sail; we then wore the ship,
and brought her to with her head to the north west. At noon the gale was
somewhat abated, but we had still heavy squalls. Our course made good
this day, was north, a little easterly, twenty-nine miles; latitude by
account 34° 50' S. longitude 188° 27' W.; the Three Kings bore N. 41 E.
distant fifty-two miles. At seven o'clock in the evening, the wind being
at S.W. and S.W. by W. with hard squalls, we wore and lay on the other
tack; and at six the next morning spread more sail. Our course and
distance since yesterday was E. by N. twenty-nine miles. In the
afternoon, we had hard squalls at S.W.; and at eight in the evening,
wore and stood to the N.W. till five the next morning; and then wore and
stood to the S.E. At six, we saw the land bearing N.E. distant about six
leagues, which we judged to be Cape _Maria Van Diemen_, and which
corresponded with the account that had been given of it by the Indians.
At midnight we wore and stood to the S.E. And on the next day at noon,
Cape Maria Van Diemen bore N.E. by N. distant about five leagues. At
seven in the evening, we tacked and stood to the westward, with a
moderate breeze at S.W. by S. and S.W. Mount Camel then bore N. 88 E.
and the northermost land, or Cape Maria Van Diemen, N. by W.; we were
now distant from the nearest land about three leagues, where we had
something more than forty fathom water; and it must be remarked, that
Mount Camel, which when seen on the other side did not seem to be more
than one mile from the sea, seemed to be but little more when seen from
this side; which is a demonstration that the land here cannot be more
than two or three miles broad, or from sea to sea.
At six o'clock in the morning of January the 1st, 1770, being New-year's
Day, we tacked and stood to the eastward, the Three Kings bearing N.W.
by N. At noon, we tacked again, and stood to the westward, being in
latitude 34° 37' S.; the Three Kings bearing N.W. by N. at the distance
of ten or eleven leagues; and Cape Maria Van Diemen N. 31 E. distant
about four leagues and a half: In this situation we had fifty-four
fathom water.
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