(Mountains covered with snow.)
In the morning of the 16th we took the sun's altitude at sunrise, which
we found to be 5 deg. 6'; the preceding evening ditto 20 deg. 30'; the difference
being divided by two Comes to 7 deg. 42'. increasing North-easterly
variation; the wind N. by E.; we were at about 11/2 mile's distance from
the low-lying land in 5 or 6 fathom, clayey bottom; at a distance of
about 10 miles by estimation into the interior, we saw a very high
mountain-range in many places white with snow, which we thought a very
singular sight, being so near the line equinoctial. Towards the evening
we held our course E. by S. along half-submerged land in 5, 4, 3 and 2
fathom, at which last point we dropped anchor; we lay there for five
hours, during which time we found the water to have risen 4 or 5 feet; in
the first watch, the wind being N.E., we ran into deeper water, and came
to anchor in 10 fathom, where we remained for the night.
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