such heavy squalls as obliged us to double-reef our top-sails. It
afterwards fell, by little and little, and at noon ended in a calm. At
this time Cape St John bore N. 20° E., distant three and a half leagues;
Cape St Bartholomew, or the S.W. point of Staten Land, S. 83° W.; two
high detached rocks N. 80° W.; and the place where the land seemed to be
divided, which had the same appearance on this side, bore N. 15° W.
three leagues distant. Latitude observed 54° 56'. In this situation we
sounded, but had no bottom with a line of 120 fathoms. The calm was of
very short duration, a breeze presently springing up at N.W.; but it was
too faint to make head against the current, and we drove with it back to
the N.N.E. At four o'clock the wind veered, at once, to S. by E., and
blew in squalls attended with rain. Two hours after, the squalls and
rain subsided, and the wind returning back to the west, blew a gentle
gale. All this time the current set us to the north, so that, at eight
o'clock, Cape St John bore W.N.W., distant about seven leagues. I now
gave over plying, and steered S.E., with a resolution to leave the land;
judging it to be sufficiently explored to answer the most general
purposes of navigation and geography.[7]

[Footnote 7: The very intelligent officer mentioned in the preceding
note, seems to have been very materially benefited by the observations
of Captain Cook, in navigating this quarter, and does not hesitate to
avow his obligations. An instance of this is recorded in our account of
Byron's voyage, vol. 12, p. 74, which refers to a passage in the next
section as to the currents losing their force at ten or twelve leagues
from land.--E.]


SECTION IV.