Between this latitude and Cape Newenham the coast is composed of hills and low land, and appeared to form several bays. A little before one o’clock the boats ahead made the signal for meeting with shoal water. It seems they had only two fathoms, and at the same time the ships were in six fathoms. By hauling a little more to the northward, we continued in much the same depth till between five and six o’clock, when the boats meeting with less and less water, I made the signal to the Discovery, she being then ahead, to anchor, which we did soon after. In bringing our ship up, the cable parted at the clinch, which obliged us to come to with the other anchor. We rode in six fathoms water, a sandy bottom, and about four or five leagues from the main land; Cape Newenham bearing south, seventeen leagues distant. The farthest hills we could see to the north, bore N. E. by E.; but there was low land stretching out from the high land, as far as north by east. Without this was a shoal of sand and stones, that was dry at half ebb. I had sent the two masters, each in a boat, to sound between this shoal and the coast. On their return, they reported that there was a channel in which they found six and seven fathoms water; but that it was narrow and intricate. At low water we made an attempt to get a hawser round the lost anchor, but did not succeed then. However, being determined not to leave it behind me, as long as there was a probability of recovering it, I persevered in my endeavours, and at last succeeded in the evening of the 20th. While we were thus employed, I ordered Captain Clerke to send his master in a boat to look for a passage in the south-west quarter. He did so; but no channel was to be found in that direction; nor did there appear to be any way to get clear of these shoals, but to return by the track which had brought us in. For, although by following the channel we were in, we might probably have got farther down the coast, and though possibly this channel might have led us at last to the north, clear of the shoals, still the attempt would have been attended with vast risk; and if we should not have succeeded, there would have been a considerable loss of time that could ill be spared. These reasons induced me to return by the way in which we came, and so get without the shoals. A number of lunar observations made by Mr. King and myself, on this and the four preceding days, and all reduced to the ship’s present station, gave the longitude 197° 45ʹ 48ʺ By the time-keeper it was 197 26 48 Our latitude was 59 37 30 Variation by the} } mean 22° mean of three } A. M. 23° 34ʹ 3ʺ } 56ʹ 51ʺ compasses, } P. M. 22 19 40 } east. The northernmost part of the coast that we could see from this station I judged to lie in the latitude of 60°. It seemed to form a low point, which obtained the name of _Shoal Ness_.