The bay out of which we had just sailed I called ADMIRALTY BAY, giving the name of CAPE STEPHENS to the north west point, and of CAPE JACKSON to the south east, after the two gentlemen who at this time were Secretaries to the Board.

Admiralty Bay may easily be known by the island that has been just mentioned, which lies two miles N.E. of Cape Stephens, in latitude 40° 37’ S. longitude 185° 6’ W. and is of a considerable height. Between this island and Cape Farewell, which are between fourteen and fifteen leagues distant from each other, in the direction of W. by N. and E. by S. the shore forms a large deep bay, the bottom of which we could scarcely see while we were sailing in a strait line from one Cape to the other; it is, however, probably of less depth than it appeared to be, for as we found the water shallower here, than at the same distance from any other part of the coast, there is reason to suppose, that the land at the bottom which lies next the sea is low, and therefore not easily to be distinguished from it. I have for this reason called it BLIND BAY, and am of opinion that it is the same which was called Murderer’s Bay by Tasman.

Voyaging Accounts