deepened inch by inch, until we reached four, five, and six fathoms; and
upon this depth we sailed the whole day, passing through a cluster, or
rather range of sandy islets. In the evening we anchored under one of
larger size than usual, about four miles from the mainland, the shores of
which had been traced during the day, without losing sight of any part of
it; it was still low, and bounded either by dunes of sand, or an
impervious forest of mangroves, beyond which no part of the interior
could be seen.

February 23.

The following day was spent in examining a bight, but we were prevented
from penetrating to the bottom by the shoalness of the water. We were,
however, near enough to see large sheets of water over the mangrove belt
that lined the shore, in which many openings were observed that
communicated with it. Beyond the lakes was a range of rocky hills, that
bounded our masthead view. The bight is fronted by a crowded range of
sandy islets, from which we did not extricate ourselves until the next
day.

Having passed out between two sandy islets, our course was held to the
northward, outside of a range of islets, and parallel to the mainland;
which was soon afterwards lost to view by trending to the eastward. At
one o'clock we passed round a larger and a more elevated island, as well
as of a more rocky character than those to the southward; and then
steered to the eastward, towards the next projecting point of the main,
named after my friend Richard Preston, Esquire, on our way to which we
left a small island about one mile to the northward of our track. In the
evening, we steered close round Cape Preston, but were disappointed in an
attempt to find anchorage near it, from the rocky state of the bottom, so