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 - Page 329

New Guinea
Northward depth of water 21 f.m at 8 oClock tack'd & stood to the Southward until 12 then stood to the Northward under little sail until daylight, sounding from 25 to 17 fa.m. Shoald in as we stood to the Northw.d. at that time we made sail & steer'd North in order to make the land of New Guinea from the time of our makg sail until' noon the depth of water gradually decreased from 17 to 12 fa.om a stony & shelly bottom we were not by Observ.n in the Lat.de of 2°:52' S.d which is in the same parallel as the Southern parts of New Guinea as it is laid down in the charts but there are only 2 points so far to the S.d I reckon we are a degree to the Westw.d our course & distance sail'd since yesterday is NNW 69 miles. Long.de in 221.27W,. The sea in many places is here covere'd with a kind of a brown scum, such as sailors generally call spawn upon our first seeing it, it alarm'd us thinking we were among shoals but we found the same depth of water were it was as in other places, neither Mr Banks nor Dr Solander could tell what it was altho' they had of it to examine
[margin] make the land of New Guinea[/margin]
Wednesday 29th. Continued standing to the Northward with a fresh gale at EbS & SE.n until 6 oClock having very irregular & uncertain soundings from 24 to 7 fa.om at 4 we made the land from the masthead bearing NWbN & w.ch appear'd to be very low. at 6 it extended from WNW to NNE.n dist.ce 4 or 5 Lg.s at this time haul'd close upon a wind to the Eastward until '7 oClock then tack'd & stood to the Southw.d. until '12 at which time we were & stood to the Northwd. until '4 then lay her head off until 'daylight when we again saw the land & stood in NNW.n, directly for it having a fresh gale at EbS. our sound.gs in the night were from 17 to 5 fathom very irregular without any sort of reef. with respect to our distance from the land at 1/2 past 6 a small low island laying about a league from the main bore NbW distant 5 miles this island lays in the Lat.de of 8:13 S.o Long.de 221°.25'W.n I find it laid down in the charts by the name of Bartholomew or Murmoyssen We now steer'd NNbW.n , WNW, WbN, WbS, & WbW as we found the land to lay having a boat ahead of the ship sounding depth of the water from 5 to 9 fa.om when in 7.8 or 9 fathom we could but just see the land from the deck but I did not think we were at most above 4 leagues because the land is exceedingly low & level & appeared to be well cover'd with wood. one sort appeared to us to be Cocoa Nutt trees; By the smockes we saw in different parts as we run along shore we were afeared that the country is inhabited. At Noon we were about 3 Leag.s from the land the Westernmost part of which that we could see bore 79°W.n our Lat.de by observ.on was 8°. 19' S.o Long.de 221.'44 W.n The island Bartholomew bore N74° East dist 2'0
Thursday 30th. Fresh breezed at SE.n , ESE & EbS after steering SwbW.n 6 miles we discover'd on our starboard bow & ahead a strong appearance of shoal water and