We Steered From Hence W. By N. Till We Had Passed A
Dangerous Shoal Called The Porill, After Which We
Stood to the S.W. and
saw in the night a small island just in our way, which we were
Unable to
weather, and therefore stood off till daylight, when we were to the S.
of that isle, when we tacked and stood again S.W. and soon after saw two
other small isles bearing from N. to N.W. For about two miles of our
course at this time, the sea was so transparent that we could plainly
discern the bottom, which was never less than five or more than six
fathoms, yet appeared only two to the eye. We passed over this shoal
about a league to the S. of these two small islands, this being the
narrowest part of the shoal, for it is five or six leagues in breadth
farther to the south; yet is it every where without danger, as it has
very uniform soundings, seldom over or under five or six fathoms. To the
north of these islands, however, it is very dangerous, being all over
foul rocky ground, and having in some places not more than four or five
feet water; it is proper, therefore, always to keep to the south of
these islands, where the passage is perfectly safe. Yet in the Dutch
charts, these dangers are laid down to the southward, which should have
been to the northwards, and they lay down the safe shoals to the
northward, whereas we now went to the southwards, as they always do.
The captain of our vessel had a chart on board, which shewed these
things exactly as I have now described, but which I compared with
several others, also on board, which I found quite different.
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