Sentence:  ... I saw the land run out a great length into the sea, at about the distance of four or five leagues before me; and the sea being very calm, I kept a large <WSD>offing</WSD> to make this point. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The distance that a ship at sea keeps away from land, often because of navigational dangers, fog and other hazards; a position at a distance from shore.