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 331

New Guinea
[margin] Septem.r 1770[/margin]
Saturday 1st In the pm & most part of the night had a fresh breeze from the SE with which we kept standing in for the land NE & ENE close upon a wind until half past 6 when we anchor'd in 41/2 fa.om soft muddy bottom as we have every where found upon the coast. about an hour before we anch.d we saw the land from the masthead extending from the EbN to NE. all very low at the time we anch.d we found a small drain of a tide sitting away to the NW which continued until 2 in the morning when the water had fall 2 feet or better. this tide of ebb was then succeeded by the flood w.ch came from th SW. yet we did not find the water to rise as such upon a perpendicular or else the greatest fall of the tide had not been well attended to in the night for at 6 when we got under sail we had no more than 3 fa.om under the ship & yet we could well see the land from the deck. after getting under sail we stood to the Northw.d with a light breeze at E & deepened our water by noon to 10 fa.om having the land just in sight from the masthead to the SE. at this time were in the Lat.de of 7°:39' S Long.de 222°:42'W. Point St Augustine bore S. 10°W dist.e 15 leag.s
Sunday 2nd. For the pm had it calm until '2 when a light breeze sprang up at NbE & we stood in for the land EbN until '5 at which time we got the wind from the SW. a light breeze with which we steer'd NE edging in for the land having it in sight from the deck & which I  judged to be ab.t 3 or 4 leag.s off being all very low land. found the var.n to be 2:34 & a little before 8 oClock having but little wind we anchor'd in 7 fa.om sot  muddybottome. In the afternoon & evening we saw several sea snakes some of which the people in the boat alongside took up by hand. At daylight in the morning we got under sail & stood away to the WNE having a fresh gale at Eastw.d by noon bro.t us into the Lat.de of 7°:14S Long.de 229°:30W Depth of water 13 fa.om Course & distance sail'd since yesterday noon is N24°E. 27 miles having at this time no land in sight. for the land according to the charts tends more easterly than the wind would permit us to sail.
Monday 3rd Steer'd NbE with a fresh breeze at EbN until 7 in the evening when the wind came to SEbS with which we kept stand'g to the Eastw/d close upon a wind all night having from 17 to 10 fa.om pretty even sound.gs at daylight we saw the land extending from NbE to E dist.e about 4 leag.s we still kept standing in for if having the advantage of a fresh gale at ESE & EbS until near 9 when being about 3 or 4 miles off & in 3 fa.om we bro.t too & I went ashore in the pinnance accompanied by Mr BAnks & Dr Solander having a mind to land once in this country before we quit it altogether which I now am determined to do without delay for I found that it is only spending time to little purpose & carrying us front of