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. 269

   New Wales or East Coast of New Holland

Tuesday 29th  Fresh Gales between the SSE & ESE Hazey weather with some showers of rain in the pm having sounded about the Ship & found that their was Sufficient Water for her over the Shoal we at 3 o'clock weigh'd & made Sail & stood to the Westward as the Land lay having first sent a boat ahead to sound, at 6 we anchor'd in 10 fathoms Sandy bottom about 2 Miles from the Main Land the westermost part of which bore WNW having still a Number of Islands in sight a long way without us. At 5 am I sent away the Master with 2 boats to sound the Entrance of an inlet which bore from us West, distance about 1 League into which I intended to go with the Ship to wait a few days until the Moon increased & in the meantime to examine the Country, by such time as we had got the Ship under Sail the Boats made the Signal for Anchorage upon which we stood in with the Ship & Anchor'd in 5 fathoms about a League within the Entrance of the inlet which we judged to be a River running a Good way inland as I observed the Tides to flow & Ebb something considerable. I had some thoughts of laying the Ship a Shore to Clean her bottom, with this view both the Master & I went to look for a Convenient place for that purpose & at the same time to look for fresh Water not one drop of which we could find, but met with several places where a Ship may be laid ashore with safety ________________
Wednesday 30th  In the pm I went again in search of Fresh Water but had no better success than before, wherefore I gave over all thoughts of laying the Ship a Shore being resolved to spend as little time as possible in a place that was likely to afford no sort of refreshment but as I had observed from the Hills the inlet to run a good way in, I thought this a good time to penetrate into the Country to see a little of the inland parts. Accordingly I prepared for making that Excursion in the morning but the first thing I did was to get up on a pretty high Hill which is at the NW entrance of the inlet before Sunrise in order to take a View of the Sea Coast & Islands etc that lay off it & to take their bearings having the Azimuth Compass with me for that purpose, the Needle of which differ'd from its True profession, something very considerable even above 30 degrees in some places more & in others less, for I try'd it in several places. I found it differ in its self above 2 points in the space of about 14 feet. The loose stones which lay upon the Ground had no effect upon the Needle. I therefore concluded that it must be owing to Iron Ore upon the Hill visible signs of which appeared not only here but in several other places. As soon as I had done here I proceeded up the inlet. I set about with the first of the flood & long before high water got about 8 Leagues up it, its breadth thus far was from 2 to 4 or 5 Miles upon a SW by S direction but here it spread every way & form'd a Large lake which communicated with the Sea to the NW. I not only saw the Sea in this direction, but found the tide of flood coming strong in from the NW. I likewise observ'd an Arm of this Lake extending to the Eastward, & it is not at all improbable but what it Communicates with the Sea in the bottom of the bay which lies to the Westward of Cape Townshend on the South side