James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 314

New Wales & Et Coast of New Holland

Aug 1770 between which & the Main their [sic[ appear'd to be a good Pafsage, thro' which we might pass by running to Leeward of the Shoals on our Starboard bow which was now quite near us, whereupon we [wore?] and bro. too & sent away the Pinnace & Yawl to direct us clear of the Shoals & then stood after them having round the SE point of the Shoal we stood NW along the SW or inside of it, keeping a good look out at the Masthead having another Shoal on our Starboard side but we found a good Channel of a Mile broad between them wherein were from 10 to 14 fa. At 11 o'clock being nearly the length of the Islands above mentioned & designing to pafs between them & the Main , the Yawl being thrown astern by falling in upon a part of the Shoal we she could not get over we bro. the ship too & sent away the Long boat which we had a storm & rigg'd/ to keep in Shore upon our Larboard bow the Pinnace on our Starboard for altho' there appear'd nothing in the Pafsage yet I thought it necefsary to take this method because we had a strong flood which carried us on end very fast, &  it did not want much of high water, as soon as the Boats were ahead we stood after them &  got through by noon. at which time we were by observation in the Lat. of 16:36:30 S. The nearest part of the Main &  which we soon after found to be the Northernmost  Long. W. southerly distant 3 or 4 Miles, the Islands which form'd the Pafsage before mention'd extending from N. to N75ºE dist. 2 or 3 Miles, at the same time we saw Islands at a good distance off extending from N6W to WNW &  behind them another Chain of high land which we likewise judged to be Islands, the Main land we thought extended as far as N7W to WNW but this we found to be Islands, the point of the Main which forms one side of the Pafsage
[Margin note] York Cape
before mentioned &  which is the Northern Promontory of this Country I have named York Cape in honour of his late Royal Highness the Duke of York. it lies in the Long. of 218º24' W the N. point in the Lat.de of 10:39 S &  the E. point is 10º41'. The land over & to the Southward of this last point is rather low & very flatt [sic]as far inland as the Eye could reach &  looks barren, to the Southward of the Cape the Shore forms a large
[Margin note] Newcastle Bay
open bay which I called Newcastle bay wherein are some small low Islands &  Shoals &  the land all about it is very low flatt &  sandy, the land on the Northern part of the Cape is rather more hilly &  the shore forms some small bays wherein there appear'd to be good Anchorage yet the Vallies appear'd to be tolerably well Cloathed with wood, close to the E. Point of the Cape are 3 small Islands & a small Ledge of rocks spitting off from one of them, there is also an Island laying close to the N. Point, the other islands before spoken of lay about 4 Miles without these, only two of them are of any extent the Southernst is the largest and much higher than any other part of the Main land, on