In the evening some people thought they saw the appearance of land to the Northward; but this appear'd so improbable that I, who was not on deck at this time, was not acquainted with it until dark, when I order'd them to sound, but found no ground with 80 fathoms, upon which we concluded that no land was near.
But daylight in the Morning proved this to be a mistake by shewing us the land at the distance of about 2 Leagues off.

We had now the wind at South-East, blowing fresh right upon the land.

When we made the land we were standing to the Westward; but, thinking the other the best tack to get off on, we wore, and hauld off to the Eastward, and by Noon had got an Offing of about 4 Leagues, the land at this time extending from North-East by North to West-South-West.

This part of the Coast of Africa which we fell in with lies in about the Latitude of 32 degrees 0 minutes South, and Longitude 331 degrees 29 minutes West, and near to what is called in the Charts Point Nattall.* (* Natal.) It was a steep, craggy point, very much broke, and looked as if the high, craggy rocks were Islands.

To the North-East of this point the land in General appear'd to rise, sloping from the Sea to a Moderate height; the Shore, alternately Rocks and Sands.