Soon after sun-rise on the 7th, I took several azimuths, with four needles belonging to the azimuth compass, the mean result of which gave the variation 7° 56’ E. At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 33° 22’ S.: we were about three leagues from the shore; the northermost land in sight bore N. 19 E. and some lands which projected in three bluff points, and which, for that reason, I called CAPE THREE POINTS, bore S.W. distant five leagues. Our longitude from Botany Bay was 19’ E. In the afternoon, we saw smoke in several places upon the shore, and in the evening, found the variation to be 8° 25’ E. At this, time we were between two and three miles from the shore, in twenty-eight fathom; and at noon the next day, we had not advanced one step to the northward. We stood off shore, with the winds northerly, till twelve at night, and at the distance of about five leagues, had seventy fathom; at the distance of six leagues we had eighty fathom, which is the extent of the soundings; for at the distance of ten leagues, we had no ground with 150 fathom.

Voyaging Accounts