First part, moderate breezes and Cloudy; remainder sometimes a fresh breeze, sometimes Calm, Hazey weather with rain. At 5 the wind coming to the Northward obliged us to Tack and Stood North-Westward, being then about 5 Miles from the Shore, and had 23 fathoms, sandy Bottom. At Midnight Tackt and Stood to the Eastward. At Noon the Land over the Entrance of Straits La Maire, East-North-East, distance, 7 leagues; Soundings from 28 to 38 fathoms. Wind North, North-North-East, variable, West-South-West; latitude 54 degrees 34 minutes South per observation.
Joseph Banks Journal
This morn make the land again soon after which it dropd calm, in which time we took Beroe incrassata, Medusa limpidissima and plicata and obliquata, Alcyonium anguillare, probably the thing that Shelvocke mentions in his Voyage round the world page 60, Alcyonium frustrum. After dinner a small breeze sprung up and to our great Joy we discoverd an opening into the land and stood in for it in great hopes of finding a harbour; however after having ran within a mile of the shore were obliged to stand off again as there was no appearance of shelter and the wind was on shore.
When we were nearest in we could plainly discover with our glasses spots in which the colour of white and yellow were predominant which we judg'd to be flowers, the white were in large clusters almost every where, the yellow in small spots or patches on the side of a hill coverd with a beautifull verdure; the trees could now be distinguishd very plainly and seemd to be 30 or 40 feet high with flat bushy tops, their trunks in many places were bare and resembled rocks a good deal till the glasses cleard up the deception.
Among the things taken today observd ulva intestinalis and corrallina officin[alis]. The wind very vereable all day, at nine this even the Three Brothers and Sugar Loaf were in sight and we stood gently along shore in hopes to be at the streights mouth by the Morning.
About 6 this even the gentlemen upon deck observd the Sugar Loaf coverd with a cloud for a short time which left it intirely white, they judgd it to have been a fall of snow upon the hill but as I did not myself see it I cannot give my opinion.
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