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: No. 304

New Wales or East Coast of New Holland

along shore to the northward having a Boat ahead founding [sounding] depth of water as we run in from 19 to 12 fam , after standing in an hour we edged away for 3 Small Islands that lay NW 2½ Et, 3 Leags from C. Bedford to these Islands the Master had been in the Pinnace when the Ship had been was in [Psh?indec.] were abreast of them & between them & the Main, having another low Island between us and the latter which lies WNW 4 Miles from the 3 Islands in this Channell had 14 fam water, the Northern point of the Main we had in sight bore from us NNW½W, dist. ½ Long.d 4 or 5 Long.d to the NE[?] of this head land appeared 3 high Islands with some smaller ones near them & the Shoals and Reefs without us we could see extending to the Northward as far as these Islands, we directed our Course between them & the above headland leaving
[Margin note:] C. Flattery
a small Island to the Eastwd. of us which lies N6Et 4 Miles from these 3 Islands, having all the while ahead a boat sounding, at Noon we were got between the Head Land and the 3 high Islands dist.n from the former 2 & from the latter 4 Leags. our Lat.de by observn was 14º51'S. we now judged ourselves to be clear of all Danger having as we thought a Clear open Sea before us, but this we soon found otherwise & occasioned my calling the Headland above mentioned Cape Flattery Lat.de 14º55'Sth Long.de  114º43W./it is a high Promontory making in 2 hills near the seat, a third behind them with low sandy land on each side but it is better known by the 3 high Islands on that Sea the northern [insert indec.] of which is the Largest and lies from the Cape NNEt distc 5 Leags. from this Cape the Main land trends away NW & a NW 6 [indec.].
Saturday 11th. Fresh breezes at SSE & SES[?] with which we steer'd along [shore ?] NW6W. until one o'clock when the Petty Officer at the Masthead called out that he saw land ahead extending quite round to the Islands without a large reef between us & them, upon this I sent to the Masthead myself. The reef I saw very plain [indec.] was now so far to windward that we could not weather it, but what he took for Main land ahead were only small Islands for such they appeared to me, but before I had well got from the Masthead the Master & some there went up who all afserted [asserted] that it was a Continuation of the Mainland & to make it still more alarming they said they saw breakers in a manner all around us, we immediately hauld upon a wind in for the land & made the Signal for the Boat which was ahead founding [sounding] to come onboard but as she was well to leeward we were obliged to edge away to take her up & soon after came to an Anchor under a point of the Main in 74 [indec.lefs?] 6 fathom about a Mile from the shore, Cape Flattery bearing SEt, dist. 3½ Leags after this I landed & went upon the Point which is .pretty high from which I had a View of the Sea Coast which trended away NWN 8 or 10 Leag.s which was as far as I could see, the weather not being very clear. I likewise saw 9 or 10 small Low Islands and some Shoals laying off the Coast &  some large Shoals between the Main &