The shore curved round here, and took a more eastern direction; and the bank of level land, which continued to run along behind it, approached very near to the water side.  Three leagues further on it formed cliffs upon the coast; and a projecting part of them, which I called Point Culver, bore N. 77 deg.  E. four leagues:  this was the furthest land in sight.

This afternoon we passed a number of pale red medusas, such as I had usually seen on the East Coast at the entrances of rivers, and which, on being touched, produced a sensation like the stinging of a nettle.  There was also a red scum on the water, and some of it was taken up to be examined by Mr. Brown in a microscope.  It consisted of minute particles not more than half a line in length, and each appeared to be composed of several cohering fibres which were jointed; the joints being of an uniform thickness, and nearly as broad as long.  These fibres were generally of unequal length, and the extremities of the compound particle thence appeared somewhat torn.  The particles exhibited no motion when in salt water; and the sole effect produced by immersing them in spirit of wine was the separation of each into its component fibres.

Until daybreak next morning the wind was unfavourable; but it then veered round to the south, and enabled us to pass Point Culver.  Our situation at noon, and the bearings taken were these: 

Latitude, observed to the north and south, 32 deg. 52’ 51”
Longitude reduced up from eight o’clock, 124 58
Point Culver, distant five leagues, S. 78 W.
Small rock under the cliffs, dist. 5 miles, North. 
Furthest extreme of the coast, cliffs, N. 39 E.

Our course along the shore was so favoured by the wind that at seven in the evening we had passed another projecting part of the cliffs, named POINT DOVER, distant from Point Culver fifty miles; and the extreme in sight ahead was twenty miles further, and still cliffy.  The nearest part was two or three leagues distant; and the wind being still at south, we hauled up to it, and at nine o’clock stood back to the westward.

The elevation of these cliffs appeared to be about five hundred feet, and nothing of the back country was seen above them.  In the upper part they are brown, in the lower part nearly white, and the two strata, as also the small layers of which each is composed, are nearly horizontal.  They were judged to be calcareous, as was the white, grey, and brown sand which the lead brought up when the bottom was not of coral.

A surveyor finds almost no object here whose bearing can be set a second time.  Each small projection presents the appearance of a steep cape as it opens out in sailing along; but before the ship arrives abreast of it, it is lost in the general uniformity of the coast, and the latitude, longitude, and distance of the nearest cliffs are all the documents that remain for the construction of a chart.  Point Culver and Point Dover are exceptions to the general uniformity; but it requires a ship to be near the land before even these are distinguishable.  The latter point was somewhat whiter than the cliffs on each side, which probably arose from the front having lately fallen off into the water.