1770. February.

Wednef. 14.

off, and which, as I have before obferved, had the appearance of an island, the name of LOOKERS-ON.

At eight o'clock in the evening, a breeze fprung up at S.S.W. with which I ftretched off fouth east, because some on board thought they faw land in that quarter. In this course we Thursday 15. continued till fix o'clock the next morning, when we had run eleven leagues, but faw no land, except that which we had left. Having stood to the S. E. with a light breeze, which veered from the weft to the north, till noon, our latitude by obfervation was 42° 56' S. and the high land that we were abreast of the preceding noon bore N. N. W. W. In the afternoon we had a light breeze at N. E. with which we fteered weft, edging in for the land, which was distant about eight leagues. At feven in the evening, we were about fix leagues from the fhore, and the southermost extremity of the land in fight bore W. S. W.

Friday 16.

2

At day-break on the 16th, we discovered land bearing S. by W. and feemingly detached from the coaft we were upon. About eight, a breeze fprung up, at N. by E. and we fteered directly for it. At noon, we were in latitude 43o 19'S. 43°19′S. the peak on the fnowy mountain bore N. 20 E. distant twenty-feven leagues; the fouthern extremity of the land we could fee bore weft, and the land which had been difcovered in the morning appeared like an island extending from S. S. W. to S. W. by W. W. distant about eight leagues. In the afternoon, we ftood to the fouthward of it, with a fresh breeze at north: at eight in the evening, we had run eleven. leagues, and the land then extended from S. W. by W. to N. by W. We were then diftant about three or four leagues from the nearest shore, and in this fituation had fifty fathom water, with a fine fandy bottom. The variation of the compafs by this morning's amplitude was 14° 39′ E.

2

At

At fun-rife, the next morning, our opinion that the land we had been standing for was an island, was confirmed, by our feeing part of the land of Tovy Poenammoo open to the weftward of it, extending as far as W. by S. At eight in the morning, the extremes of the island bore N. 76 W. and N. N. E. E.; and an opening near the fouth point, which had the appearance of a bay or harbour, N. 20 W. diftant be. tween three and four leagues: in this fituation we had thirtyeight fathom water with a brown fandy bottom.

1770.

February.

Saturday 17.

Inland.

This island, which I named after Mr. Banks, lies about five Banks's leagues from the coaft of Tovy Poenammoo; the south point bears S. 21 W. from the highest peak on the fnowy mountain, and lies in latitude 43° 32′ S. and in longitude 186° 30′ W. by an observation of the fun and moon which was made this morning: it is of a circular figure, and about twenty-four leagues in compass: it is fufficiently high to be feen at the distance of twelve or fifteen leagues, and the land has a broken irregular surface, with the appearance rather of barrenness than fertility; yet it was inhabited, for we saw smoke in one place, and a few ftraggling natives in another.

When this island was firft discovered in the direction of S. by W. fome perfons on board were of opinion that they alfo faw land bearing S. S. E. and S. E. by E. I was myfelf upon the deck at the time, and told them, that in my opinion it was no more than a cloud, and that as the fun rose it would dissipate and vanish. However, as I was determined to leave no fubject for difputation which experiment could remove, I ordered the ship to be wore, and fteered E. S. E. by compass, in the direction which the land was faid to bear from us at that time. At noon we were in latitude 44° 7′ S.; the south point of Banks's Island bearing north, distant five leagues.

or

2

1770. February.

Saturday 17.

Sunday 18.

Monday 19.

leagues. By feven o'clock at night we had run eight and twenty miles, when feeing no land, nor any figns of any, but that which we had left, we bore away S. by W. and continued upon that course till the next day at noon, when we were in latitude 45° 16', the fouth point of Banks's Island bearing N. 6° 30′ W. distant twenty-eight leagues. The variation by the azimuth this morning was 15° 30′ E. As no figns of land had yet appeared to the fouthward, and as I thought that we had ftood far enough in that direction to weather all the land we had left, judging from the report of the natives in Queen Charlotte's Sound, I hauled to the weftward.

2

We had a moderate breeze at N. N. W. and N. till eight: in the evening, when it became unfettled; and at ten fixed at fouth during the night, it blew with fuch violence that it brought us under our close reefed topfails. At eight the: next morning, having run twenty-eight leagues upon a W. by N. N. courfe, and judging ourselves to be to the weftward of the land of Tovy Poenammoo, we bore away N. W. with a fresh gale at south. At ten, having run eleven miles upon this course, we saw land extending from the S. W. to the N. W. at the distance of about ten leagues, which: we hauled up for. At noon, our latitude by obfervation was 44° 38', the fouth east point of Bank's Island bore N. 58° 30′ E. diftant thirty leagues, and the main body of the land in fight W. by N. A head fea prevented us from making much way to the fouthward; at feven in the evening the extremes of the land ftretched from S. W. by S. to N. by W.; and at fix leagues from the fhore we had thirty-two fathom waTuesday 20. ter. At four o'clock the next morning, we ftood in for the shore W. by S. and during a courfe of four leagues, our depth of water was from thirty-two to thirteen fathom.

When it was thirteen fathom we were but three miles distant from the fhore, and therefore ftood off; its direction is here nearly N. and S. The furface, to the distance of about five miles from the fea, is low and flat; but it then rifes into hills of a confiderable height. It appeared to be totally barren, and we saw no figns of its being inhabited. Our latitude, at noon, was 44° 44'; and the longitude which we made from Banks's Ifland to this place was 2° 22′ W. During the laft twenty-four hours, though we carried as much fail as the ship would bear, we were driven three leagues to the leeward.

1770.

February.

Tuesday 20.

We continued to ftand off and on all this day and the next, Wednes. 21. keeping at the distance of between four and twelve leagues from the shore, and having water from thirty-five to fiftythree fathom. On the 22d, at noon, we had no observation, Thursday 22. but by the land judged ourselves to be about three leagues farther north than we had been the day before. At fun-fet, the weather, which had been hazey, clearing up, we faw a mountain which rofe in a high peak, bearing N. W. by N.; and at the fame time, we faw the land more diftinctly than before, extending from N. to S. W. by S. which, at some diftance within the coaft, had a lofty and mountainous appearance. We foon found that the accounts which had been given us by the Indians in Queen Charlotte's Sound of the land to the fouthward were not true; for they had told us that it might be circumnavigated in four days.

On the 23d, having a hollow fwell from the S. E. and ex- Friday 23. pecting wind from the fame quarter, we kept plying between seven and fifteen leagues from the fhore, having from seventy to forty-four fathom. At noon, our latitude by observation was 44° 40′ S. and our longitude from Banks's island 1° 31′ W. From this time to fix in the evening it was VOL. II. 3 H calm;

1770. February.

Friday 23.

Saturday 24.

Sunday 25.

calm; but a light breeze then springing up at E.N.E. we steered S. S. E. all night, edging off from the land, the hollow fwell ftill continuing; our depth of water was from fixty to feventy-five fathom. While we were becalmed, Mr. Banks, being out in the boat, fhot two Port Egmont hens, which were in every refpect the fame as those that are found in great numbers upon the island of Faro, and were the first of the kind we had feen upon this coaft, though we fell in with fome a few days before we made land.

2

At day-break, the wind freshened, and before noon we had a strong gale at N. N. E. At eight in the morning we faw the land extending as far as S. W. by S. and fteered directly for it. At noon, we were in latitude 45° 22′ S.; and the land, which now ftretched from S. W. S. to N. N. W. appeared to be rudely diverfified by hill and valley. In the afternoon, we steered S. W. by S. and S. W. edging in for the land with a fresh gale at north; but though we were at no great dif tance, the weather was fo hażey that we could fee nothing distinctly upon it, except a ridge of high hills lying not far from the fea, and parallel to the coaft, which in this place ftretches S. by W. and N. by E. and feemed to end in a high bluff point to the fouthward. By eight in the evening we were abreast of this point; but it being then dark, and I not knowing which way the land trended, we brought to for the night. At this time, the point bore weft, and was diftant about five miles: our depth of water was thirty-seven fathom, and the bottom confifted of small pebbles.

At day-break, having made fail, the point bore north, distant three leagues, and we now found that the land trended from it S. W. by W. as far as we could fee. This point I named CAPE SAUNDERS, in honour of Sir Charles. Our latitude was 45° 35′ S. and longitude 189° 4' W. By the latitude, and the

angles