A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14Kerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
On the 9th of March, having little wind and pleasant weather, about nine a.
m. being then in the latitude of 43° 37' S. longitude, by lunar
observation, 145° 36' E., and by account 143° 10' E. from Greenwich, we saw
the land bearing N.N.E., about eight or nine leagues distance. It appeared
moderately high, and uneven near the sea; the hills farther back formed a
double land, and much higher. There seemed to be several islands, or broken
land, to the N.W., as the shore trenched; but by reason of clouds that hung
over them, we could not be certain whether they did not join to the main.
We hauled immediately up for it, and by noon were within three or four
leagues of it. A point much like the Ramhead off Plymouth, which I take to
be the same that Tasman calls South Cape, bore north four leagues off us.
The land from this cape runs directly to the eastward; about four leagues
along shore are three islands about two miles long, and several rocks,
resembling the Mewstone, (particularly one which we so named,) about four
or five leagues E.S.E 1/2 E. off the above cape, which Tasman has not
mentioned, or laid down in his draughts. After you pass these islands, the
land lies E. by N., and W. by S., by the compass nearly. It is a bold
shore, and seems to afford several bays or anchoring-places, but believe
deep water. From the S.W. cape, which is in the latitude of 43° 39' S., and
longitude 145° 50' E. to the S.E. cape, in the latitude 43° 36' S.,
longitude 147° E., is nearly sixteen leagues, and sounding from forty-eight
to seventy fathoms, sand and broken shells three or four leagues off shore.
Here the country is hilly and full of trees, the shore rocky and difficult
landing, occasioned by the wind blowing here continually from the westward,
which occasions such a surf that the sand cannot lie on the shore. We saw
no inhabitants here.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account