Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0270
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[Page 270]
266
Breaksea Spit
us, for we discoverd breakers which we had certainly ran upon had the ship in the night saild 2 or 3 leagues farther than she did this shoal extended a long way out from the land for we ran along it till 2 O'Clock & then passed over the tail of it in seven fathom water the Sea was so clear that we could distinctly see the bottom & indeed when it was 12 & 14 fathom deep the colour of the sand might be seen from the mast head at a large distance, while we were upon the shoal innumerable large fish Sharks Dolphins &c. & one large Turtle were seen A grampus of the middle size Leapd with his whole body out of water several times making a Splash & foam in the sea as if a mountain had fallen into it at sun set a few Bobies flew past towards the NW.
21. Land seen only from the mast head; innumerable bobies for near 2 hours before & after Sun rise flew by the ship comeing from NNW & flying SSE, I suppose from some bird Island in that direction where they roosted last night at 9 new land was in sight the other side of the bay which we left last night as we aproachd it the depth of water gradualy decreasd to 9 fathom at 4 in the evening the land