The entrance of Queen Charlotte’s Sound is situated in latitude 41° S. longitude 184° 45’ W. and near the middle of the south west side of the streight in which it lies. The land of the south east head of the Sound, called by the natives KOAMAROO, off which lie two small islands and some rocks, makes the narrowest part of the streight. From the north west head a reef of rocks runs out about two miles, in the direction of N.E. by N.; part of which is above the water, and part below. By this account of the heads, the Sound will be sufficiently known: at the entrance, it is three leagues broad, and lies in S.W. by S.S.W. and W.S.W. at least ten leagues, and is a collection of some of the finest harbours in the world, as will appear from the plan, which is laid down with all the accuracy that time and circumstances would admit. The land forming the harbour or cove in which we lay, is called by the natives TOTARRANUE: the harbour itself, which I called SHIP COVE, is not inferior to any in the Sound, either for convenience or safety: it lies on the west side of the Sound, and is the southermost of three coves, that are situated within the island of Motuara, which bears east of it. Ship Cove may be entered, either between Motuara and a long island, called by the natives HAMOTE, or between Motuara and the western shore. In the last of these channels are two ledges of rocks, three fathom under water, which may easily be known by the sea-weed that grows upon them. In sailing either in or out of the Sound, with little wind, attention must be had to the tides, which flow about nine or ten o’clock at the full and change of the moon, and rise and fall between seven and eight feet perpendicularly. The flood comes in through the streight from the S.E. and sets strongly over upon the north west head, and the reef that lies off it: the ebb sets with still greater rapidity to the S.E. over upon the rocks and islands that lie off the south east head. The variation of the compass we found from good observation to be 13° 5’ E.

Voyaging Accounts