In the afternoon, we had a gentle breeze at S. W., which, before it was quite dark, brought us abreast of the eastern point which we had seen at noon; but not knowing what course the land took on the other side of it, we brought to in thirty-four fathom, at the distance of about one league from the shore. At eight in the evening, there being little wind, we filled and stood on till midnight, and then we brought to till four in the morning, when we again made sail, and at break of day we saw low land extending from the point to the S. S. E. as far as the eye could reach, the eastern extremity of which appeared in round hillocks: by this time the gale had veered to the eastward, which obliged us to ply to windward. At noon next day, the eastern point bore S. W. by S. distant sixteen miles, and our latitude was 40° 19ʹ: the wind continuing easterly, we were nearly in the same situation at noon on the day following. About three o’clock the wind came to the westward, and we steered E. S. E. with all the sail we could set till it was dark, and then shortened sail till the morning: as we had thick hazy weather all night, we kept sounding continually, and had from thirty-seven to forty-two fathom. When the day broke we saw land bearing S. E. by E. and an island lying near it, bearing E. S. E. distant about five leagues: this island I knew to be the same that I had seen from the entrance of Queen Charlotte’s Sound, from which it bears N. W. by N. distant nine leagues. At noon, it bore south, distant four or five miles, and the north-west head of the sound S. E. by S. distant ten leagues and a half. Our latitude, by observation, was 40° 33ʹ S.
As we had now circumnavigated the whole country, it became necessary to think of quitting it; but as I had thirty tons of empty water casks on board, this could not be done till I had filled them: I therefore hauled round the island, and entered a bay, which lies between that and Queen Charlotte’s Sound, leaving three more islands, which lay close under the western shore, between three or four miles within the entrance, on our starboard hand: while we were running in, we kept the lead continually going, and had from forty to twelve fathom. At six o’clock in the evening, we anchored in eleven fathom with a muddy bottom, under the west shore, in the second cove, that lies within three islands; and as soon as it was light the next morning, I took a boat, and went on shore to look for a watering place, and a proper birth for the ship, both which I found, much to my satisfaction. As soon as the ship was moored, I sent an officer on shore to superintend the watering, and the carpenter, with his crew, to cut wood, while the long-boat was employed in landing the empty casks.