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. 315

  New Wales or East Coast of New Holland

Aug 1770  on the NW side of this Island seem'd to be good Anchorage & Vallies that to all appearance would afford both wood & fresh water. These Isles are known in the Chart by the Name of York Isles. To the Southward & East of them & even to the Eastw'd & Northward are several low Islands rocks & Shoals, our depth of Water is failing between them & the Main was 12: 13 & 14 fathoms _________
Wednesday 22nd  Gentle breezes at E & S & clear weather. We had not steer'd above 3 or 4 Miles along shore to the westward before we discover'd land ahead to be Islands detached by several Channels from the mainland; upon this we brought too to Wait for the Yawl, & called the other Boats in board & after giving them proper instructions sent them away again to lead us thro' the Channell next the Main & as soon as the Yawl was onboard made sail after them with the Ship; soon after we discover'd rocks & Shoals in this Channell upon which I made the Signal for the boats to lead thro' the next Channel to the Northward laying between the Islands which they accordingly did, we following with the Ship & had not less than 5 fathoms & this in the narrowest part of the Channell which was about a Mile & a 1/2 broad from Island to Island. At 4 o'clock we Anchor'd about a Mile & a 1/2 or 2 Mile within the Entrance in 61/2 fathoms, clear ground distant from the Islands on each side of us one Mile, the Mainland extending away to the NW, the farthest point of which we could see bore from us South 48 degrees West & the Southernmost point of the Islands on the NW of the Passage bore South 76 degrees West. Between these 2 points we could see no land, so that we were in great hopes that we had at last found out a Passage into the Indian seas, but in order to be better inform I landed with a party of Men accompanied by Mr Banks & dr Solander upon the Island which lies at the SE point to the Passage. Before & after we Anchor'd we saw a Number of People upon this Island armed in the same manner as all the others we have seen Except one man who had a bow & a bundle of Arrows, the first we have seen upon this Coast. From the Appearance of these people we expected that they would have opposed our landing but as we approached the shore they all made off & left us in peaceable possession of as much of the Island as served our purpose. After landing I went upon the highest hill which however was of no great height yet not less than twice or thrice the heigth of the Ship's Mastheads but I could see from it no land between SW & WSW, so that I did not doubt but there was a passage. I could see plainly that the lands laying to the NW of this passage were compos'd of a number of Islands of Various extent both for height & Circuit ranged one behind another as far to the Northward and Westward as I could see which could not be less than 12 or 14 Leagues. Having satisfied myself of the great Probability of a passage thro' which I intend
going