At noon we were about ten miles south-west from Point Pearce.

The wind then springing up from the south, sail was set, but the tide being adverse, very little better than a north-east course was made good.

Soon after sunset, being three or four miles to the South-South-West of Point Pearce, we tacked to the southward with the intention of steering on to make what progress we could during the night.
The attempt was hazardous, as we were strangers to the part; but if some little risk was not run we had no chance of penetrating.

From fifteen fathoms we deepened to twenty-one, but as quickly shoaled again to fifteen, and then suddenly to seven fathoms, hard sand.
The cutter was then put about and we steered off North-West for six miles and passed through several ripplings, occasioned by the tide flowing with rapidity over a rocky and irregular bottom.

After running the above distance we again hauled to the wind, but had hardly trimmed sails before we again suddenly shoaled from sixteen to seven fathoms.