1773.
March.
We tried soundings in 30 fathoms, but found none; however, at the mast-head they observed sunken rocks close to us, on which we immediately tacked, and stood off shore, as the weather was growing dark and misty. The next morning we found this part of New Zeeland lay to the southward of Cape West, and had not been explored by captain Cook, in the Endeavour.
Thus ended our first cruize in the high southern latitudes, after a space of four months and two days, out of sight of land, during which we had experienced no untoward accident, and had been safely led through numerous dangers by the guiding hand of Providence, which preserved our crew in good health during the whole time, a few individuals excepted. Our whole course, from the Cape of Good Hope to New Zeeland, was a series of hardships, which had never been experienced before: all the disagreeable circumstances of the sails and rigging shattered to pieces, the vessel rolling gunwale to, and her upper works torn by the violence of the strain; the concomitant effects of storms, which have been painted with such strong expression, and blackness of Colorit, by the able writer of Anson's Voyage, were perhaps the least distressing occurrences of ours. We had the perpetual severities of a rigorous climate to cope with; our seamen and officers were exposed to rain, sleet, hail, and snow; our rigging was constantly encrusted with ice, which cut the hands of those who were obliged to touch it; ourprovision
