Derde reys, gedaan voor de Engelsche Maatschappy na Oost-Indien, met drie scheepen, de Draak, Hector, en ... (1706) - Page 5

sailed Eastward, sometimes Northward, and sometimes Southward, depending on whether the water was deeper or shallower. We often had ten fathoms of water, and as soon as we cast the lead again, seven with poor ground. When we found shallow water while sailing Northward, we sought the depth again, imagining we were on the banks of S. Anna, otherwise Madera Bomba. By estimation, we had been, since the noon of the previous day, fourteen miles Eastward and then again five miles Westward, having South, South-West, and South-East winds. Sien Verde (Verga) before Sierra Leone.

After noon, we had nine, ten, eleven, and twelve fathoms of water.

The first land we saw appeared to be the island of Verde (Verga), a very round land, and therefore recognizable for those coming from the South who wish to go there.

And sighting it.

Around seven o'clock in the evening, we dropped our anchor in 20 fathoms of water, hard sandy ground, having progressed six miles or more North-East and North-North-East. We had the South end of the island of Verde to the East of us, and the Headland of Sierra Leone, being a low Point in the North-East, eight miles away from us; but the land behind that Cape is quite high and can be seen for fifteen miles in clear weather.

How they arrive at the roadstead.

Around six o'clock the following morning, we set sail for the roadstead an area of water near the shore where ships can anchor and had no less than sixteen, fifteen, ten, or nine fathoms of water, until we came within half a mile between North and South of the shoal a submerged ridge or rock that lies one and a half miles West of the Cape of Sierra Leone and one mile from the nearest beach. Here we had seven fathoms of water with good ground between us and the shoal, but as soon as we had passed the shoal, we had 20 fathoms of water, and subsequently eighteen, sixteen, twelve, and ten fathoms all the way to the roadstead, though we kept ourselves next to