The weather now became more moderate. At noon, on the 28th, we altered our course, steering S. by W.; and at half an hour after one, we saw the Bashee Islands bearing from S. by E. to S.S.E. distant about six leagues. These islands are all high, but the northermost is higher than the rest. By an observation made this day, we found Grafton Island to lie in the longitude of 239° W. and in latitude of 21° 4' N. At midnight, the weather being very dark, with sudden gusts of wind, we missed Edmund Morgan, a marine tailor, whom we supposed to have fallen overboard, having reason to fear that he had drunk more than his allowance.
From this time, to the 3d of November, we found the ship every day from ten to fifteen miles north of her reckoning. The day before we had seen several gannets; but upon sounding many times during the day and the next night, we had no ground with 160 fathom. This morning, at seven o'clock, we saw a ledge of breakers bearing S.W. at the distance of about three miles: We hauled off from them, and at eleven saw more breakers bearing S.W. by S. distant about five miles. At noon, we hauled off the east end of them, from which we were not distant more than a quarter of a mile.
The first shoal lies in latitude 11° 8' N.; longitude, from Bashee Islands, 8° W.
The second shoal lies in latitude 10° 46' N.; longitude of the N.E. end, from Bashee Islands, 8° 13' W.
We saw much foul ground to the S. and S.S.E. but had no bottom with 150 fathom. Before one, however, we saw shoal water on the larboard bow, and standing from it, passed another ledge at two. At three, we saw a low sandy point, which I called Sandy Isle, bearing N. 1/2 E. distant about two miles. At five, we saw a small island, which I called Small Key, bearing N. by E. distant about five miles; and soon after, another larger, which I called Long Island, beyond it. At six in the evening, the largest island being distant between two and three leagues, we brought-to, and stood off and on from mid-night till break of day, continually sounding, but having no ground.
At seven in the morning, of Wednesday the 4th, we saw another island, which I called New Island, bearing S.E. by E., and a large reef of rocks, bearing S. 1/2 W. distant six miles. At ten, we saw breakers from W.S.W. to W. by N. At noon, the north end of the great reef bore S.E. by E. distant two leagues, and another reef bore W.N.W. at about the same distance.
The latitudes and longitudes of these islands and shoals, appear by the following table:
Lat. N. Long. W.
Sandy Isle - 10° 40' 247° 12'
Small Key - - 10 37 247 16
Long Island - - 10 20 247 24
New Island - - 10 10 247 40
First Shoal - - 10 14 247 36
Second Shoal - - 10 4 247 45
Third Shoal - - 10 5 247 50
Soon after, we saw another reef in latitude 10° 15', longitude 248°.
The next day we found the ship, which had for some time been to the northward of her reckoning, eight miles to the southward.