Transcription

[Page 275]

New Wales or East Coast of New Holland
June 1770
at this time between the 2, we continued advancing slowly to the NW. until noon at which time we were by observn in the Latde of 18o 49' & about 5 leages from the Mainland the NWt part of which [Indecipherable] NnW 1/2 [Indecipherable] the [Indecipherable] land extending from N to Et distt of the nearest 2 Miles, Cape Cleveland bore 50E distt 18 Leags, our Soundgs in the Course of this days sail were from 14 to 11Fms.

[in the margin are the words:] Palm Isles
Friday 8th Winds at SSE & S first part light Airs the remainder Gentle breese in the PM we saw several large snakes upon the Main, some people Canoes & as we thought Cocoa Natives upon one of the Islands, & as a few of these [Indecipherable] would have been acceptable to us at this Time I sent St Hicks ashore with whom went Mr Banks & Dr Solander to see what was to be got, in the Meantime we kept Standg in for the Isld with the Ship at 7 they returned [Indecipherable] having met with Nothing worth Observing the trees we saw were a small kind of Cabbage Palms, they heard some of the Natives as they were putting off from the Shore but saw none, after the Boat was hoisted in we stood away NbW for the Northernst land we had in sight which we were abreast of at 3 o'clock in the morning having passed all the Islands 3 or 4 hours before, this point I have named Point Hillside on acct of its Figure the land of this point is Tolerable high, & may be known by a round Hillock or rock that appears to be
[In the margin:] Hallifax Bay
detached from the point but I believe it joins to it between this Cape & Cape Cleveland[?] the shore forms a large bay which I named Hallifax bay before it lay the Groups of Islands before mentioned & some others nearer the shore . These Islands shelter the Bay in a manner from all Winds in which is good Anchorage the land near the shore in the bottom of the bay is very low & Woody but a little way back in the Country is a continued ridge of high land which appeared to be barren & rocky, having passed point Hillock we continued standing to the NNW, as the land Trended having the Advantage of a light Moon, at 6AM we were abreast of a point of Land which lies NbW [Indecipherable], 11 miles from Point Hillock the Land between them is very high & of a Craggy barren surface this Point I named Cape Sandwich it may not only be known by the high Craggy land over it, but by a small island which lies Ed one mile from it & some others about 2 leags to the Northwd of it from Cape Sandwich the land trends Wt [West] & afterwds Nd & forms a fine large Bay which I called Rockingham Bay it is well sheltered & affords a good Anchorage at least so it appear'd to me for having hitherto met with little encouragemt by going ashore that I would not wait to land or examine it farther, but continued to range along shore to the Northwd for a parcel of small islands laying off the northern point of the Bay & find a Channel of a Mile broad between the 3 Outer [indecipherable] & shore nearer the shore we pushed thro! while we did this we saw on one of the nearest Islands a number of the Natives collected together

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