Transcription

Page 276
June 1770
together who seem'd to look very attentively upon the ship, they were quite naked & of a very dark tone, with short hair. at noon we were by observn in the Latde of 170:59' & abreast of the N. Point of Rockingham Bay which base [Indecipherable] W 2 Miles this [Indecipherable] of the Bay is formed by a tolerable high Island by the name of Dunkeld it lays so near the shore as not to be distinguished from it unless you are well in with the land at this time. we were in the Latde of 210 3:57' Cape Sandwich bore SbE Et disdtt 19 Miles & the northenmst land in sight N1/2W our depth of Water in the course of this days sail was not more than 16 nor less than 7 fam 

Saturday 9th. Winds between the So & SEt a Gentle breese & clear wear [weather] with which we steerd NbW as the land lay in the northern extream of wt at sun set bore N250Wt, we kept on our course under an Easy sail all night having from 12 to 16 fam at the distance of about 3 or 4 leags from the Land at 6AM we were abreast of some small Islands which we called Frankland Isles that lay abt 2 leags from the Mainland the Northern point of which in sight bore NbW 1/2 Wt  but this we afterward found to be an Island tolerable high & abt 4 miles in Circuit, it lies about 2 Miles from the point on the main between which we went with the Ship & were in the middle of the Channel at Noon & by observn in the Latde of 160 55' where we had 20 fam Water. The point of land we were now abreast of I called Cape Grafton Latde 16:55 So Longde 214:11 West. It is tolerable high & so is the whole coast for 20 Leags to the Southwd & hath a very rocky surface which is thinly covered with wood, in the night we saw several fires along the shore & a little before noon some people.

Saturday 10th After hauling round Cape Grafton we found the land trend away NWbWt.  3 Miles to the Westwd of the Cape is a Bay wherein we Anchored abt 2 Miles from te Shore in 4 fam [Indecipherable] bottom of the Et point of the Bay bore So74Et the Wt point So83Wt & a low green woody Island laying in the Offing bore N35oEt. this Island lies NbE1/2Et distce 3 or 4 Leags form Cape Grafton & is known in the Chrts by the Name of Green Island. as soon as the Ship was brot to an Anchor I went ashore accompanied by Mr Banks & Dr Solander. the first thing I did was to look for Fresh Water, & with that View
rowed out towards the Cape because in the bottom of the bay was low Mangrove land & little probability of meeting with any there, but the way i went found 2 small streams which were difficult to get at on accot of the Surf & rocks upon the shore, as we came rod the Cape we saw in a sandy Cove a small stream of Water run over the beach but here i did not go in the boat because I found that it would not be easy to land, we hardly advanced anything

 

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