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1769. December.

Wednef. 13.

We had now ftrong gales at W. and W. S. W.; and at half an hour past three we tacked and stood to the northward. Soon after, a small inland lying off Knuckle Point bore S. W. diftant half a league. In the evening, having split the fore and mizen topfails, we brought the ship under her courfes; and at midnight, we wore, and stood to the fouthward till five in the morning; when we tacked and ftood to the Thurfd. 14. N. W. and faw land bearing fouth, at the diftance of eight or nine leagues; by this we difcovered that we had fallen much to the leeward fince yesterday morning. At noon, our latitude by obfervation was 34° 6′ S.; and the same land which we had seen before to the N. W. now bore S. W. and appeared to be the northern extremity of the country. We had a large fwell rolling in from the weftward, and therefore concluded that we were not covered by any land in that quarter. At eight in the evening, we tacked and stood to the weftward, with as much fail as we could bear; and at noon the next day, we were Friday 15. in latitude 34° 10, longitude 185° 45′ W. and by estimation about feventeen leagues from the land, notwithstanding our utmost endeavours to keep in with it.

On the 16th, at fix in the morning, we faw Saturd, 16. land from the maft-head, bearing S. S. W.; and at noon it bore S. by W. distant fourteen leagues : while we were standing in for the shore we found. VOL. III.

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1769.

December.

Sunday 17.

ed feveral times, but had no ground with ninety fathom. At eight, we tacked in a hundred and Saturd, 16. eight fathom, at about three or four miles from the shore, which was the fame point of land that we had to the N. W. before we were blown off. At noon it bore S. W. diftant about three miles, Mount Camel bore S. by E. diftant about eleven leagues, and the westermoft land in fight bore S. 75 W.; the latitude by obfervation was 34° 20' S. At four o'clock, we tacked and ftood in fhore, in doing which, we met with a strong rippling, and the ship fell faft to leeward, which we imputed to a current fetting eaft. At eight, we tacked and stood off till eight the next morning; when we tacked and stood in, being about ten leagues from the land: at noon, the point of land which we were near the day before, bore S. S. W. distant five leagues. The wind still continued at weft; and at feven o'clock, we tacked in thirty-five fathom, when the point of land which has been mentioned before, bore N. W. by N. distant four or five miles; so that we had not gained one inch to windward the last twentyy-four hours, which confirmed our opinion that there was a current to the eastward. The point of land I called NORTH CAPE, it being the northern extremity of this country. It lies in latitude 34° 22' S. longitude 186° 55′ W. and thirty-one leagues diftant from Cape Bret, in the direction of N. 63 W. It forms the north point

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1769.

December.

of Sandy Bay, and is a peninsula jutting out N. E. about two miles, and terminating in a bluff head that is flat at the top. The isthmus Sunday 17: which joins this head to the main land is very low, and for that reason the land of the Cape, from several fituations, has the appearance of an ifland. It is ftill more remarkable when it is feen from the fouthward, by the appearance of a high round ifland at the S. E. point of the Cape; but this alfo is a deception; for what appears to be an island is a round hill, joined to the Cape by a low narrow neck of land. Upon the Cape we saw a Hippah or village, and a few inhabitants; and on the fouth eaft fide of it there appears to be anchorage, and good fhelter from the fouth weft and north weft winds.

We continued to ftand off and on, making Thurfd.21. N. W. till noon on the 21ft, when North Cape bore S. 39 E. diftant thirty-eight leagues. Our fituation varied only a few leagues till the 23d, Saturd. when, about feven o'clock in the evening, we faw land from the maft-head, bearing S. E.

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23.

At eleven the next morning, we faw it again, Sunday 24, bearing S. S. E. at the diftance of eight leagues: we now ftood to the S. W.; and at four o'clock, the land bore S. E. by S. diftant four leagues, and proved to be a small island, with other islands or rocks, ftill fmaller, lying off the fouth west end of it, and another lying off the north eaft end, which were discovered by Tasman and called

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December.

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1769. called the Three Kings. The principal island lies in latitude 34° 12′ S. longitude 187° 48′ W. Sunday 24 and diftant fourteen or fifteen leagues from North Cape, in the direction of W. 14 N. At midnight, we tacked and stood to the N. E. till fix the next morning, which was Christmas day, when we tacked and stood to the fouthward. At noon, the Three Kings bore E. 8 N. distant five or fix leagues. The variation this morning by the azimuth was 11° 25 E.

Tuesday 26.

On the 26th, we ftood to the fouthward close upon a wind; and at noon, were in latitude 35° 10' S. longitude 188° 20' W. the Three Kings bearing N. 26 W. diftant twenty-two leagues. In this fituation we had no land in fight; and yet, by obfervation, we were in the latitude of the Bay of Islands; and by my reckoning but twenty leagues to the weftward of North Cape from whence it appears, that the northern part of this island is very narrow; for otherwife we must have seen fome part of the weft fide of it. We stood to the fouthward till twelve at night, and then tacked and stood to the northward.

Wednef.27. At four o'clock in the morning, the wind freshened, and at nine, blew a storm; so that we were obliged to bring the fhip to under her mainfail. Our courfe made good between noon this day and yesterday was S. S. W. W. diftance eleven miles. The Three Kings bore N.

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December.

27 E. distant seventy-feven miles. The gale1769. continued all this day, and till two the next morning, when it fell, and began to veer to the Thursd. 28. fouthward and S. W. where it fixed about four, when we made fail and steered east in for the land, under the fore-fail and main-fail; but the wind then rifing, and by eight o'clock being increased to a hurricane, with a prodigious sea, we were obliged to take in the main fail; we then wore the ship, and brought her to with her head to the north weft. At noon the gale was somewhat abated, but we had ftill heavy fqualls. Our courfe made good this day, was north, a little easterly, twenty-nine miles; latitude by account 34° 50′ S. longitude 188° 27′ W.; the Three Kings bore N. 41 E. diftant fifty-two miles. At feven o'clock in the evening, the wind being at S. W. and S. W. by W. with hard fqualls, we wore and lay on the other tack; and at fix the next morning fpread more Friday 29. fail. Our courfe and diftance fince yesterday was E. by N. twenty-nine miles. In the afternoon, we had hard fqualls at S. W.; and at eight in the evening, wore and stood to the N. W. till five the next morning; and then wore Saturday 30. and stood to the S. E. At fix, we faw the land bearing N. E. diftant about fix leagues, which we judged to be Cape Maria Van Diemen, and which corresponded with the account that had been given of it by the Indians. At midnight

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