At six o’clock in the morning we got under sail, and stood away to the N. W., having two boats a-head to direct us; our soundings were very irregular, varying five or six fathom every cast, between ten and twenty-seven. A little before noon, we passed a low sandy island, which we left on our starboard side, at the distance of two miles. At noon our latitude was 12° 28ʹ, and our distance from the main about four leagues: it extended from S. by W. to N. 71 W., and some small islands from N. 40 W. to 54 W. Between us and the main were several shoals, and some without us, besides the main or outermost reef, which we could see from the mast head, stretching away to the N. E. At two in the afternoon, as we were steering N. W. by N. we saw a large shoal right a-head, extending three or four points upon each bow; upon this we hauled up N. N. E. and N. E. by N. to get round the north point of it, which we reached by four, and then edged away to the westward, and ran between the north end of this shoal and another which lies two miles to the northward of it, having a boat all the way a-head sounding; our depth of water was still very irregular, from twenty-two to eight fathom. At half an hour after six, we anchored in thirteen fathom: the northernmost of the small islands seen at noon bore W. ½ S., distant three miles: these islands are distinguished in the chart by the name of FORBES’S ISLANDS, and lie about five leagues from the main, which here forms a high point that we called BOLT HEAD, from which the land trends more westerly, and is in that direction all low and sandy; to the southward it is high and hilly, even near the sea.