Transcription

                                    New Whales or East Coast of New Holland
April 1770

Northermost land in sight bore N being at this time about 4 leagues from the Land at Noon we were in the Latitude of 36 degrees: 51 minutes S & Longitude of 209 degrees: 53 minutes W & 3 Leagues from the Land Course sail'd along shore since Yesterday at Noon was first N 52 degrees & 30 Miles then N 6 [indecipherable] 41 Miles.
The weather being clear gave us an opportunity to View the Country which had a very agreeable & promising aspect diversified with hills, ridges, plains & Vallies with some few small lawns, but for the most part the whole was covered with wood, the hills & ridges rise with a gentle slope, they are not high neither are there many of them_____
Saturday 21st      Winds Southerly a Gentle breeze & clear weather, with which we coasted along shore to the Northward.  In the pm, we saw the smoke of fire in several places a certain sign that the Country is inhabited, at 6 being about 2 or 3 Leagues from the land we shortened Sail & Sounded & found 44 fathoms, a sandy bottom stood on under an easy sail until 12 o'clock at which time we bro.t too until 4 am when we made Sail having then 90 fathoms 5 leagues from the land, at 6 we were abreast of a pretty high Mountain laying near the Shore, which on account of its figure I named Mount Dromedary (Latitude 96 degrees 18 minutes South Longitude 209 degrees 55 minutes West) the shore under the foot of the Mountain formed a point which I have named Cape Dromedary, over which is a peaked hillock, at this time found the variation to be 10 degrees 42 minutes East. Between 10 & 11 o'Clock Mr Green & I took several Observations of the Sun & Moon the mean result of which gave 209 degrees 17 minutes West Longitude from the Meridian of Greenwich, by observation made yesterday we were in the Longitude 210 degrees 9 minutes - 20 minutes gives 209 degrees 49 minutes the Longitude of the Ship today at noon [indecipherable] yesterday's observation the Mean of which & to [indecipherable] give 209 degrees 33 minutes West by which I fix the Longitude of this Coast. Our Latitude at Noon was 35 degrees 49 minutes South Cape Dromedary bore South 30 West distance 12 Leagues an Open Bay (Bateman Bay) wherein lay 3 or 4 Small Islands bore NW & W distance 12 Leagues & this Bay seem'd to be but very little Shelter'd from the Sea Winds & yet it is the only likely Anchoring place I have yet seen upon the Coast ___________
Sunday 22nd     In the pm had a Gentle breeze at South by West with which we steer'd along shore N & E & NNE at the distance of about 13 Leagues, saw the Smoke of fire in several places near the Sea beach, at 5 we were abreast of a point of land which on account of its perpendicular Cliffs I call'd Point Upwright Latitude 35 degrees 95 minutes South it bore from us due West distance 2 Leagues & in this Situation had [indecipherable] Sandy bottom at 6 fathoms at 6 [feeling?] little wind we hauld off ENE at this time the Northermost land in sight bore N & E1/2E, at midnight being in 70 fathoms, we brought too until 4 am at which time we made Sail for the land & that daylight found our Selves nearly in the same Place

 

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