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
point of the main.
Supposing South Cape to be the southern extremity of this country, as
indeed it proved to be, I hoped to get round it by the west, for a large
hollow swell from the south-west, ever since our last hard gale, had
convinced me that there was no land in that direction.
In the night we had a hard gale at N.E. by N. and N. which brought us
under our courses, but about eight in the morning it became moderate;
and at noon veering to the west, we tacked and stood to the northward,
having no land in sight. Our latitude, by observation, was 47° 33' S.
our longitude, west from the South Cape, 59'. We stood away N.N.E. close
upon a wind, without seeing any land, till two the next morning, when we
discovered an island bearing N.W. by N. distant about five leagues:
About two hours afterwards we saw land a-head, upon which we tacked and
stood off till six, when we stood in to take a nearer view of it: At
eleven we were within three leagues of it, but the wind seeming to
incline upon the shore, I tacked and stood off to the southward. We had
now sailed round the land which we had discovered on the 5th, and which
then did not appear to be joined to the main which lay north of it; and
being now come to the other side of what we supposed to be water, a bay,
or low land, it had the same appearance, but when I came to lay it down
upon paper I saw no reason to suppose it to be an island; on the
contrary, I was clearly of opinion that it made part of the main. At
noon, the western extremity of the main bore N. 59 W., and the island
which we had seen in the morning S. 59 W. distant about five leagues.
It lies in latitude 46° 31' S. longitude 192° 49' W., and is nothing
but a barren rock about a mile in circuit, remarkably high, and lies
full five leagues distant from the main. This island I named after Dr
Solander, and called it _Solander's Island_. The shore of the main lies
nearest E. by S. and W. by N. and forms a large open bay, in which there
is no appearance of any harbour or shelter for shipping against S.W. and
southerly winds: The surface of the country is broken into craggy hills,
of a great height, on the summits of which are several patches of snow:
It is not, however, wholly barren, for we could see wood not only in the
vallies, but upon the highest ground, yet we saw no appearance of its
being inhabited.
We continued to stand to the S.W. by S. till eleven o'clock the next
morning, when the wind shifted to the S.W. by W., upon which we wore,
and stood to the N.N.W., being then in latitude 47° 40' S. longitude
193° 50' W., and having a hollow sea from the S.W.
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