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 noon on the 12th, we were distant about three leagues from the shore
which lies under the peak, but the peak itself was wholly concealed by
clouds: We judged it to bear about S.S.E.; and some very remarkable
peaked islands, which lay under the shore, bore E.S.E. distant three or
four leagues. At seven in the evening we sounded, and had forty-two
fathom, being distant from the shore between two and three leagues: We
judged the peak to bear east; and after it was dark, we saw fires upon
the shore.
At five o'clock in the morning we saw, for a few minutes, the summit of
the peak, towering above the clouds, and covered with snow. It now bore
N.E.; it lies in latitude 39° 16' S. longitude 185° 15' W.; and I named
it Mount Egmont, in honour of the Earl. It seems to have a large base,
and to rise with a gradual ascent. It lies near the sea, and is
surrounded by a flat country of a pleasant appearance, being clothed
with verdure and wood, which renders it the more conspicuous, and the
shore under it forms a large cape, which I have named Cape Egmont. It
lies S.S.W. 1/2 W. twenty-seven leagues distant from Albetross Point,
and on the north side of it are two small islands, which lie near a
remarkable point on the main, that rises to a considerable height in the
form of a sugar-loaf. To the southward of the Cape, the land trends away
S.E. by E. and S.S.E. and seems to be every where a bold shore. At noon,
Cape Egmont bore about N.E.; and in this direction, at about four
leagues from the shore, we had forty fathom of water. The wind, during
the rest of the day was from W. to N.W. by W. and we continued to steer
along the shore S.S.E. and S.E. by E. keeping at the distance of between
two and three leagues. At half an hour after seven, we had another
transient view of Mount Edgecombe, which bore N. 17 W. distant about ten
leagues.
At five the next morning, we steered S.E. by S. the coast inclining more
southerly; and in about half an hour, we saw land bearing S.W. by S. for
which we hauled up. At noon the north-west extremity of the land in
sight bore S. 63 W. and some high land, which had the appearance of an
island lying under the main, bore S.S.E. distant five leagues. We were
now in a bay, the bottom of which bearing south we could not see, though
it was clear in that quarter. Our latitude by observation was 40° 27' S.
longitude 184° 39' W. At eight in the evening, we were within two
leagues of the land which we had discovered in the morning, having run
ten leagues since noon: The land which then bore S. 63 W. now bore N. 49
W. at the distance of seven or eight leagues, and had the appearance of
an island. Between this land and Cape Egmont lies the bay, the west side
of which was our situation at this time, and the land here is of a
considerable height, and diversified by bill and valley.
SECTION XXVI.
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