State Library of NSW
New Wales or East Coast of New Holland [margin] Aug.st 1770 York Isle [/margin on the NW side of this Island seem'd to be good anchorage & vallies that to all appearance would afford both wood & fresh water, these isles are known in the chart by the name of York Isles. to the Southward & SE of them & even to the Eastw.d & Northward are several low islands rock & shoals, our depth of water in sailing between them & Burthain was 12.'13 & 14 fa.om Wednesday 22 Gentle breezes at EbS. & clear wea.r we had not steer'd above 3 or 4 miles along shore to the westw.d before we discover'd land ahead to be Isl.d detached by several channels from the mainland upon this we bro.t too to wait for the yawl, & called the other boats onboard & after giving them proper instructions sent them away again to lead us thro' the channell next the Main & as soon as the yawl was onboard made sail after them with the ship; soon after we discover'd rocks & shoals in this channell upon which I made the signal for the boats to lead thro' the next channel to the Northward laying between the islands which they accordingly did, we following with the ship & had not less than 5 fa.om & this in the narrowed part of the Channell which was about a mile & a 1/2 broad from island to island, at 4 o'Clock we anchor's about a mile & a 1/2 or 2 mile within the entrance in 61/2 fa.om clear ground distant from the islands on each side of us one mile, the Mainland extending away to the NW. the farthest point of which we could see bore from us [margin] Endeavour Straits [/margin] S.o 48°W the southerm.st point of the islands on the NW side of the passage bore So76°W, between these 2 points we could see no land so that we were in great hopes that we had at last found out a passage into the Indian sea's, but in order to be better informed I landed with a party of men accompanied by Mr Banks & Dr Solander upon the islands which lies at the SE point of the passage. before & after we anchor's we saw a number of people upon this island arm'd in the same manner as all the other we have seen except one man who had a bow & a bunch of arrows the first we have seen upon this coast, from the appearance of these people we expected that they would have opposed our landing but as we approached the shore they all made off & left us in peaceable possession of as much of the island as served ou purpose. After landing I went upon the highest hill which however was of a great height yet not less than twice or thrice the heigth [height] of the ship masthead but I could see from it no land between SW & WSW. so that I did not doubt but there was a passage I could see plainly that the lands laying to the NW. of this passage were compos'd of a number of islands of various extent both for height & circuit ranged one behind another as far to the Northward and Westward as I could see which could not be less than 12 or 14 leagues. Having satisfied myself of the great probability of a passage thro' which I intend going
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