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. 319

                                          New Wales or East Coast of New Holland

be said of the Islands, especially between the Latitude of 20 degrees and 22 degrees where we saw Islands out at Sea as far as we could distinguish anything. However take the Chart in general & I believe it will be found to contain as few Errors as most Sea Charts, which have not undergone a thorough correction. The Latitude & Longitude of all or most of the principal headlands, Bays etc may be relied on for we seldom fail'd of getting an Observation every day to correct our Latitude by, & the Observation for settling the Longitude were no less Numerous & made as often as the Sun & Moon came in play so that it was impossible for any Material error to creep into our reckoning in the intermediate times. In justice to Mr Green I must say that he was indefatigable in making and calculating these observations which otherwise must have taken up a good deal of my time which I could not at all times very well spare, not only this, but by his instructions several of the Petty Officers can make & calculate these observations almost as well as himself. It is only by such means that this method of finding the Longitude at Sea can be put into universal practice, a method that we have generally found may be depended upon to within 1/2 a degree which is a degree of Accuracy more than sufficient for all Nautical purposes. Would Sea Officers once apply themselves to the making & calculating these Observations they would not find them so very difficult as they at first imagine especially with the Assistance of the Nautical Almanack & Astronomical Ephemerics, by the help of which the Calculations for finding the Longitude takes up but little more time than than that of an Azimuth for find the Variation of the Compass, but unless this Ephemerics is Published for some time to come more than either one or 2 Years it can never be of general use in long Voyages, & in short Voyages it's not so much wanted. Without it the Calculations are Laborious & discouraging to beginners & such as are not well vers'd in these kind of Calculations. _____________
    In the Course of this Journal I have at different times made mention of the Appearance or Aspect of the face of the Country, the Nature of the Soils, its produce etc. By the first it will appear that to the Southward of 33 or 34 degrees the land in general is low & Level with very few Hills or Mountains further to the Northward it may in some places be called a Hilly, but hardly anywhere can be called a Mountainous country for the Hills & Mountains put together take up but a small part of the Surface in Comparison to what the Planes & Valleys do, which intersect or divide these Hills & Mountains. It is indifferently well water'd even in the dry Seasons with small brooks & Springs but no great Rivers, unless it be in the Wet Season when the low lands & Vallies near the Sea I do suppose are mostly laid under
Water