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. 312

New Wales or East Coast of New Holland

at Noon bore W½S. distc 3 Miiles, these Islands which are known in the Chart by the name of Forbes's Isles lay abt. 5 Leags from the Main which here forms a Moderate high Point which we called Bolt Head
[Margin note] Forbes's Isles
from which the Land trends more westerly & all is low sandy land, but to the Southward it is high & hilly even near the Sea, at 6 am we got under sail & directed our Course for an Island which lay but a little way from the Main & bore from us at this time N 40ºW dist. 5 Leagues but we were soon interrupted in our Course by meeting with Shoals but by the help of 2 Boats ahead & a good look out at the Masthead we got at last into a fair Channel which lead us down to the Island, having a very large Shoal on our Starboard side & several smaller ones betwixt us & the Main land, in this Channel we had from 20 to 30 fam between 11 & 12 o'clock we hauld round the NE of the Island leaving it between us & the Main from which it is dist. of 7 or 8 Miles.This Island is about a league in Circuit & of a Modte. heigth [sic] & is inhabited; to the NW of it are several small low islands & Keys which lay not as far from the Main & to the Northward & Eastern lay several of the Islands &  Shoals so that we were now incompafsed [encompassed] on every side by one or the other & the Boats being out of their Station we brought too to wait for them, at noon our Lat.de by Observ.n was 12.:0S. Longde. in 217:25W. [Margin Note] Cape Grenville
depth of water 14 fam. Course &  distance saild reduced to a Strait line since yesterday Noon is N29 º W. 32 Miles, the Main land within the above Islands forms a Point which I call Cape Grenville /Latde. 11.58 Longde. 217:38/ between the Cape & the Bolt Head is a Bay which I name Temple Bay E½N 9 Leagues from Cape Grenville lay some tolerable high Islands which I called Sr Charles Hardy Isles. those which lay off the Cape I named Cockburn's Isles.
[Margin note] Sir Charles Hardy
[Margin note] Cockburn's Isles
Monday 20th Fresh breezes at ESE ab. one PM the Pinnace having got ahead & the Yawl we took in tow fill'd & steer'd N6W for some small Islands we had in that direction after approaching them a little nearer we found them join'd or connected together by a large Reef upon this we Edged away NW & left them on our Starboard, steering between them & the Islands laying off the Main, having a fair & Clear Pafsage depth of water from 15 to 23 fam  at 4 we discover'd some low Islands & Rocks bearing WNW which we stood directly for at half past 6 we Anchor'd on the NE side of the Northern, in 16 fam, distant from the Island one Mile, this Isle lay NW 4 Long. from C. Grenville on the Isles we saw a good many birds which occasioned my calling them Bird Isles. Before & at sun set we could see Main Land which appeared all very low & Sandy Extends as far to the Northward as NW6N. & some Shoals Keys, low Sandy Isles away to the NE of us. At 6 am we got again under sail with a fresh breeze at 6 & stood away NNW for some low Islands we saw in that direction but we had not stood long upon this Course before we were obliged to haul close upon a wind in Order to weather a Shoal which