[Early Australian Voyages by John Pinkerton]@TWC D-Link bookEarly Australian Voyages CHAPTER XXI: REMARKS UPON THE VOYAGE 26/148
We kept, therefore, good looking out for fear of shoals, sometimes shortening, sometimes deepening the water.
About two in the afternoon we saw the land ahead that makes the south of the bay, and before night we had again sholdings from that shore, and therefore shortened sail and stood off and on all night, under two top-sails, continually sounding, having never more than ten fathom, and seldom less than seven.
The water deepened and sholdened so very gently, that in heaving the lead five or six times we should scarce have a foot difference.
When we came into seven fathom either way, we presently went about.
From this south part of the bay we could not see the land from whence we came in the afternoon; and this land we found to be an island of three or four leagues long; but it appearing barren, I did not strive to go nearer it, and the rather because the winds would not permit us to do it without much trouble, and at the openings the water was generally shoal: I therefore made no farther attempts in this south-west and south part of the bay, but steered away to the eastward, to see if there was any land that way, for as yet we had seen none there.
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