There being no Man among us who had any Knowledge of that Bay, where we had been told the Currents were strong, and sate swiftly to the _Eastward_, it made us suspect that we were fallen off, and that the Land we saw must be the Bay of _Apalache_, which oblig’d us on the 29th to steer _W. N. W._ still keeping along the Land, and it was agreed that the _Joly_ should follow us in six Fathom Water.
The 30th, the _Chevalier d’ Aire_ and the second Pilot of the _Joly_ came aboard us to confer and adjust by our Recknings what Place we might be in, and they all agreed, according to Monsieur _de la Sale’s_ Opinion, that the Currents had set us to the _Eastward_, for which Reason we held on our Course, as we had done the Day before to the _N. W._ keeping along the Shore till the first of _January 1685_, when we perceiv’d that the Currents forc’d us towards the Land, which oblig’d us to come to an Anchor in six Fathom Water.
We had not been there long, before the Bark _la Belle_ made a Signal that she had discover’d Land, which we descry’d at about 4 Leagues Distance from us. Notice was given to Monsieur _de Beaujeu_, who drew near to us, and it was resolv’d to send some Person to discover and take an Account of the Land that appear’d to us.
Accordingly a Boat was man’d, and into it went Monsieur _de la Sale_, the _Chevalier d’ Aire_ and several others; another Boat was also put out, aboard which I went with Ten or Twelve of our Gentlemen, to join Monsieur _de la Sale_ and the Bark _la Belle_ was order’d to follow always keeping along the Shore; to the End that if the Wind shou’d rise, we might get aboard her, to lose no Time.
Some of those who were in Monsieur _de la Sale’s_ Boat, and the foremost,[48] went ashore and saw a spacious plain Country of much Pasture Ground; but had not the Leisure to make any particular Discovery, because the Wind freshning, they were oblig’d to return to their Boat, to come aboard again; which was the Reason why we did not go quite up to the Shore, but return’d with them to our Ship. All that could be taken Notice of was a great Quantity of Wood along the Coast. We took an Observation and found 29 Degrees 10 Minutes of North Latitude.
The Second, there arose a Fog, which made us lose Sight of the _Joly_. The next Day, the Weather clearing up, we fir’d some Cannon-shot and the _Joly_ answer’d, and towards the Evening we perceiv’d her to the Windward of us. We held on our Course, making several Trips till the Fourth in the Evening, when being in Sight and within two Leagues of the Land, we came to an Anchor to expect the _Joly_, for which we were in Pain.