Note (return) — Chapter III · TRANSACTIONS AT OTAHEITE, AND THE SOCIETY ISLANDS; AND PROSECUTION OF THE VOYAGE TO THE COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. (continued 5)

I continued standing off till one in the afternoon. Then I tacked, and stood in, hoping to have the wind off from the land in the night. But in this I was mistaken; for at five o'clock it began to run to the west and south-west, which, obliged me once more to stand out to sea. At this time, Cape Perpetua bore N.E. by N.; and the farthest land we could see to the south of Cape Gregory bore S. by E., perhaps ten or twelve leagues distant. If I am right in this estimation, its latitude will be 43° 10', and its longitude 235° 55' E., which is nearly the situation of Cape Blanco, discovered or seen by Martin d'Aguilar, on the 19th of January, 1603. It is worth observing, that in the very latitude where we now were, geographers have been pleased to place a large entrance or strait, the discovery of which they take upon them to ascribe to the same navigator; whereas nothing more is mentioned in the account of his voyage, than his having seen, in this situation, a large river, which he would have entered, but was prevented by the currents.4