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
During this part of our navigation two particulars are very remarkable;
in latitude 35° S. and in the midst of summer, I met with a gale of
wind, which for its strength and continuance was such as I had scarcely
ever been in before, and we were three weeks in getting ten leagues to
the westward, and five weeks in getting fifty leagues, for at this time
it was so long since we passed Cape Bret. During the gale, we were
happily at a considerable distance from the land, otherwise it is highly
probable that we should never have returned to relate our adventures.
At five o'clock in the evening, having a fresh breeze to the westward,
we tacked and stood to the southward: At this time North Cape bore E.
1/4 N. and just open of a point that lies three leagues W. by N. from
it.
This Cape, as I have observed before, is the northermost extremity of
this country, and the eastermost point of a peninsula, which runs out
N.W. and N.W. by N. seventeen or eighteen leagues, and of which Cape
Maria Van Diemen is the westermost point. Cape Maria lies in latitude
34° 30' S. longitude 187° 18' W.; and from this point the land trends
away S.E. by S. and S.E. beyond Mount Camel, and is every where a barren
shore, consisting of banks of white sand.
On the 2d, at noon, we were in latitude 35° 17' S. and Cape Maria bore
north, distant about sixteen leagues, as near as we could guess; for we
had no land in sight, and did not dare to go nearer, as a fresh gale
blew right on shore, with a rolling sea. The wind continued at W.S.W and
S.W. with frequent squalls; in the evening we shortened sail, and at
midnight tacked, and made a trip to the N.W. till two in the morning,
when we wore and stood to the southward. At break of day, we made sail,
and edged away, in order to make land; and at ten o'clock, we saw it,
hearing N.W. It appeared to be high, and at noon extended from N. to
E.N.E. distant by estimation eight or ten leagues. Cape Maria then bore
N. 2° 30' W. distant thirty-three leagues; our latitude by observation
was 36° 2' S. About seven o'clock in the evening, we were within six
leagues of it; but having a fresh gale upon it, with a rolling sea, we
hauled our wind to the S.E.; and kept on that course close upon the wind
all night, sounding several times, but having no ground with one hundred
and one hundred and ten fathom.
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