Note Note 3 — APPENDIX III.

28th, Monday. Passed the elevated land seen yesterday afternoon, and at 2 P.M. Cape Bassas was abreast of us, distant a few miles. The real situation of this cape we had difficulty to determine, for the land along, low and smooth, had so much sameness in appearance, and that forming the cape itself so little remarkable from the rest, that had we not observed the coast to recede considerably on each side, making opposite to us an evident projection or headland, we should still have remained in great uncertainty respecting it. At 5 or 6 miles’ distance from the shore struck soundings in 19 fathoms, hard ground, and we had still a strong current in our favour, but we observed little or no rippling about the ship. The position of the cape (Note 3) according to the mean of several good observations is in N. lat. 4° 44′, and long. 48° 17′ E., variation per azimuth 9° 7′ W. After ascertaining the situation of this cape[92] we stood to windward during the night. To-day the weather continued fine with a moderate easterly wind, the thermometer at 78°. Lat. observed at noon 4° 59′ N.