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Great part of the reef without us was dry, and we could see an Opening in it about two Leagues farther to the South-East than the one we came in by; we likewise saw 2 large spots of sand to the Southward within the Reef, but could see nothing to the Northward between it and the Main. Saturday, 18th. Gentle breezes at East and East-South-East.
Barometer 28.50; thermometer 56 degrees at 8 p.m.; latitude 25 degrees 13 minutes 36 seconds South by meridian altitude of Arcturus. Left the rum-keg and a pair of farrier's pincers in the stone hut at Weld Springs. Got an early start, and continued on East-South-East.
P.M., had a Gentle Breeze at West, which in the Evening came to South and continued so all night; this by daylight brought us pretty well in with the land, 7 Leagues to the Westward of the Cavalle Isles, and where lies a deep Bay running in South-West by West and West-South-West, the bottom of which we could but just see, and there the land appear'd to be low and level, the 2 points which form the Entrance lie West-North-West and East-South-East 5 Miles from each other.
We were no sooner to the eastward of Maria's Islands, than the wind shifted round to south-east and east-south-east, which brought us again upon a lee shore, for we could not weather Maria's Islands upon one tack, nor Shooten's Isles and Bay of Shoals upon the other; however, as it did not now blow so hard, and the land was near 20 leagues distant, I was not under any apprehensions from it.
Dixon's cattle and horses were very plainly visible, and by their depth we perceived how very wet and soft the ground had then been. September 6. We set forward on a bearing of east-south-east, which I took to be the general direction of the Bogan, considering the position of Croker's range on the east, and that of the hills in the south, which I had traced.
The day has been oppressively hot and close. Wind from the east-south-east, with heavy clouds from the south-east to the south-west at sundown. Sunday, 7th September, The Burke. After sunrise the clouds all gone. At 6.30 despatched Thring and King to the Tomkinson to see if there is any water. The day again oppressively hot, with clouds from south and south-east. Wind variable.
When the morning broke, it had veered to East-South-East with squalls from East-North-East and heavy rain. Dense masses of clouds covered the sky, enveloping everything in gloom; which, though so far agreeable as to reduce the temperature to 75 degrees, had a most singular effect after the constant bright sunny days we had experienced.
The ship was headed east-south-east, and it was evident that she still had on more sail than she could easily carry. "What's the course, Mr. Pelham?" asked Captain Gordon. "East-south-east, sir," replied Pelham. "The course given out was east-north-east." "I have changed it three times within the last hour," answered the fourth lieutenant, in rather surly tones.
At the time when the mate lay down to take his rest, therefore, the schooner was quite five-and-twenty miles to windward of the Dry Tortugas, and some twenty miles to the northward of the Florida Reef, with the wind quite light at east-south-east. Such, then, was the position or situation of the schooner. As respects her condition, it is easily described.
The noise they made frightened my horse, and I was obliged to keep them quiet, by beating the water with a branch until he had drank. Having here quenched my thirst, I ascended a tree, and the morning being calm, I soon perceived the smoke of the watering-place which I had passed in the night; and observed another pillar of smoke east-south-east, distant 12 or 14 miles.
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