This passage, which I have named Endeavours Straights after the name of the Ship. It — is in length NE and SW 7 l0 Leagues and about 45 leagues broad, except at the NE and ^entrance where it is only 2 Miles broad by reason of several small Islands which lay there, one of which call'd Posession Island which is of a moderate height and circuit ^this we left between us and the Main, passing between it and two small round Islands which lay NW 2 Miles from it, there are also two small low Islands ^call'd Wallice's Isles - laying in the Middle of the S.W. entrance which we left to the Southward, the depth of water we found in the Straight was from 4 to 9 fathom every where good anchorage; only about 2 Leagues to the northward of the I ^Wallice's Islands above mentioned is a Bank whereon is not more than three fathom at low-water, but probably there might be found more was it sought for — I have not been particular in discribing this Strait no more than I have been in pointing out the respective situations of the Islands Shoals &Ca ^on the eastern coast of New Wales — of New Holland, for these I refer to the Chart, where they are delineated with all the Accuracy that circumstances would admit of; with respect to the Shoals that lay upon this Coast I must observe for the benifit of those who may come after me, that I do not beleive the one half of them are laid down in my chart, for it would be obsurd to suppose that we could see or find all all the above one half them all, and the same thing may in some measure be said of the Islands especially about ^between the Latitude of 20° & 22° - where we saw Islands out at Sea as far as we could distinguish any thing. However take the Chart in general and I beleive it will be found to contain as few errors as most Sea Charts which have not undergone a thorough correction, the Latitude and Longitude of all or most of the principal head lands. Bays &Ca may be relied on, for we seldom faild of geting an Observation every day to correct our Latitude by and the observation for fixing ^Settleing the Longitude were no less numberous and made as often as the Sun and Moon came in play, so that it was impossible for any material error to creep into our reckoning in the intermidiate times. In justice to Mr Green I must say that he was Indefatigable in making and calculating these observations which otherwise must have taken up a great deal of my time, which I could not at all times very well spare. Not only this, but by his Instructions several of the Petty officers can make and Calculate these observations almost as well as himself: it is only by such means that this method of finding the Longitude at Sea can be put into universal practice, a method that we have generally found may be depended upon to ^within half a degree; ^which is a degree of accuracy more than Sufficient for all Nautical purposes. Would Sea officers once apply themselves to the makeing and calculating these observations they would not find them so very difficult as they at first imagine, especially with the help ^assistance of the Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris ^by the help of which the calculations for finding the Longde takes up but little more time than that of an Azimuth for find the Varin of the compass but unless this Ephemeris is publishd for some time to come more than either one or two Years it can never be of general use in long Voyages, and in short Voyages its not so much wanting; without it the Calculations are laborious and discouraging to beginers and such as are not well Vers'd in these kind of calculations —
[At this point in the manuscript, Cook commences his general description of New South Wales]