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. 308

New Wales or East Coast of New Holland

Aug 1770
some few other plants, & Pummice stones which were not the produce of the Country from what we have seen of it, it is reasonable to suppose that they are the products of some land or Islands laying in the Neighbourhood most likely to be Eastward & are brought hither by the Easterly trade winds. The Islands discover'd by Quiros lies in this Parrallel but how far to the Eastward its hard to say, for altho' we found in most [haste?] his discoveries placed as far to the West as this country, yet from the Accot of his Voyage compared with what we ourselves have seen we are Morally certain that he never was upon any part of this Coast.
As soon as we had got without the Reefs, we Shortened sail & hoisted in the Pinnace & Longboat, which last we had hung alongside & then stretched off ENE close upon a wind as I did not care to stand to the Northward until we had a whole day before us for which reason we kept making short boards all night. the large hollow sea we have now got into reacquaints me with a Circumstance we did not before know, which is that the Ship hath received more Damage than we were aware of or could perceive when in smooth Water for now she makes as much water as one pump will face, kept constantly at work. At day light in the morning Lizard Island bore S6W. distant 10 Leags. we now made all the Sail we could & stood away [indec.SW.N?] but at 9 we steer'd N6½N having the advantage of a Fresh Gale at SE. at Noon we were by observation in the Latitude of 13º46'S the Lizard Island bore S15ºE at dist.58 [Lg?] but we had no land in sight.
Wednesday 15th. Fresh Trade at SE & clear weather at 6 in the evening shorten'd Sail a &  bro. too with her head to the NE. by this time we had run near 12 Leag. upon at NW½N Course since noon, at 4am [wore?]  & lay her head to the SW.  & at 6 made all Sail &  steer'd W. in order to make the land being fearful of over shooting the Pafsage supposing this to be one between this land & New Guinea by noon we had run 10 Lg upon this Course but saw no land our Lat. by observation was 13º2/S. Long.de 216:00W which was 1º:23' to the W. of Lizard Island.
Thursday 16th. Moderate breezes at ENE & fair was a little after noon saw the Land from the Masthead bearing WSW. making high at 2 saw more land to the NW of the former making in hills like Islands but we took it to be a Continuation of the Main land, an hour after this we saw a reef between us &  the land extending away to the Southward, &  as we thought terminated here to the Northward abreast of us but this was only an opening for soon after we saw it extend away to the Northward as far as we could distinguish anything upon this we hauld close upon a Wind which was now at ESE with all the sail we could set, we had hardly trimmed our sails before the wind came to the ENE which made our weathering the Reef very doubtful. the northern point of which in sight at sunset bore from us N6W dist. about 2 Leags. however this being the best Tack to clear it we keept stand'g to the North.