head or point, of which we had been abreaft at noon the day before, and off which lay fome rocks above water, bore S. 18 W. at the diftance of fix leagues. This point I called ROCK'S POINT. Our latitude was now 40° 55′ S. and having nearly run down the whole of the north west coast of Tovy Poenammoo, I fhall give fome account of the face of the country. I have already obferved, that on the 11th, when we were off the fouthern part; the land then feen was craggy and mountainous, and there is great reason to believe that the fame ridge of mountains extends nearly the whole length of the island. Between the weftermoft land which we saw that day, and the eastermoft which we faw on the 13th, there is a space of about fix or eight leagues, of which we did not fee the coast, though we plainly discovered the mountains inland. The sea coast near Cape Weft is low, rifing with an eafy and gradual afcent to the foot of the mountains, and being in moft parts covered with wood. From Point Five Fingers, down to latitude 44° 20' there is a narrow ridge of hills that rifes directly from the fea, and is covered with wood: close behind thefe hills are the mountains, extending in another ridge of a ftupendous height, and confifting of rocks that are totally barren and naked, except where they are covered with fnow, which is to be feen in large patches upon many parts of them, and has probably lain there ever fince the creation of the world: a profpect more rude craggy, and defolate than this country affords from the fea, cannot poffibly be conceived, for as far inland as the eye can reach, nothing appears but the summits of rocks, which stand so near together, that instead of vallies there only * fiffures between them. From the latitude of 44° 20′, to the latitude of 42° 8', thefe mountains lie farther inland, and are the 1770. March. Friday 23, 1770. March. Friday 23. Saturday 21. Sunday 25. Monday 25. Tuesday 27. the fea coaft confifts of woody hills and vallies, of various height and extent, and has much appearance of fertility: many of the vallies form plains of confiderable extent, wholly covered with wood, but it is very probable that the ground, in many places, is fwampy and interspersed with pools of water. From latitude 42° 8′, to 41o 30', the land is not diftinguished by any thing remarkable: it rifes into hills directly from the fea, and is covered with wood; but the weather being foggy while we were upon this part of the coast, we could see very little inland, except now and then the fummits of the mountains, towering above the cloudy mifts that obfcured them below, which confirmed my opinion that a chain of mountains extended from one end of the ifland to the other. In the afternoon, we had a gentle breeze at S. W. which, before it was quite dark, brought us abreast of the eastern point which we had seen at noon; but not knowing what course the land took on the other fide of it, we brought to in thirty-four fathom, at the distance of about one league from the shore. At eight in the evening, there being little wind, we filled and stood on till midnight, and then we brought to till four in the morning, when we again made sail, and at break of day we faw low land extending from the point to the S. S. E. as far as the eye could reach, the eastern extremity of which appeared in round hillocks: by this time the gale had veered to the eastward, which obliged us to ply to windward. At noon next day, the eastern point bore S. W. by S. diftant fixteen miles, and our latitude was 40° 19′: the wind continuing eafterly, we were nearly in the fame fituation at noon on the day following. About three o'clock the wind came to the weftward, and we steered E. S. E. with all the fail we could fet till it was dark, and then fhortened fail till the morning: as we had thick hazey weather all night, we we kept founding continually, and had from thirty-feven to forty-two fathom. When the day broke we saw land bearing. S. E. by E. and an island lying near it, bearing E. S. E. diftant about five leagues: this island I knew to be the fame that I had feen from the entrance of Queen Charlotte's Sound,. from which it bears N. W. by N. distant nine leagues. At noon, it bore fouth, diftant four or five miles, and the north weft head of the Sound S. E. by S. distant ten leagues and an. half. Our latitude, by obfervation, was 40° 33'S. 1770. March. Tuesday 27 As we had now circumnavigated the whole country, it became neceffary to think of quitting it, but as I had thirty tons of empty water cafks on board, this could not be done: till I had filled them: I therefore hauled round the island, and entered a bay, which lies between that and Queen Charlotte's Sound, leaving three more islands, which lay clofe under the western shore, between three or four miles within the entrance, on our starboard hand: while we were running in, we kept the lead continually going, and had from. forty to twelve fathom. At fix o'clock in the evening, we anchored in eleven fathom with a muddy bottom, under the west shore, in the fecond cove, that lies within the three islands; and as foon as it was light the next morning, I took Wednes. 281 a boat, and went on fhore to look for a watering-place, and a proper birth for the fhip, both which I found, much to my fatisfaction. As soon as the ship was moored, I sent an officer on fhore to fuperintend the watering, and the carpenter, with his crew, to cut wood, while the long-boat was employed in landing the empty casks.. In this employment we were bufy till the 30th, when the wind feeming to fettle at S. E. and our water being nearly completed, we warped the fhip out of the cove, that we might have room to get under fail: and at noon I went away Friday 30 in 1 1770. March. Friday 30. in the pinnace to examine as much of the bay as my time would admit. After rowing about two leagues up it, I went afhore upon a point of land on the western side, and having climbed a hill, I faw the western arm of this bay run in S. W. by W. about five leagues farther, yet I could not discover the end of it: there appeared to be several other inlets, or at least small bays, between this and the north west head of Queen Charlotte's Sound, in each of which, I make no doubt, there is anchorage and fhelter, as they are all covered from the fea wind by the islands which lie without them. The land about this bay, as far as I could fee of it, is of a hilly furface, chiefly covered with trees, fhrubs, and fern, which render travelling difficult and fatiguing. In this excursion I was accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, who found feveral new plants. We met with fome hutts, which feemed to have been long deserted, but faw no inhabitants. Mr. Banks examined feveral of the ftones that lay upon the beach, which were full of veins, and had a mineral appearance; but he did not discover any thing in them which he knew to be ore: if he had had an opportunity to examine any of the bare rocks, perhaps he might have been more fortunate. He was also of opinion that what I had taken for marble in another place, was a mineral substance; and that, confidering the correspondence of latitude between this place and South America, it was not improbable but that, by a proper examination, fomething very valuable might be found. At my return in the evening, I found all the wood and water on board, and the fhip ready for the fea; I refolved therefore to quit the country, and return home by fuch a route as might be of most advantage to the fervice; and upon upon this fubject took the opinion of my officers. I had myself a ftrong defire to return by Cape Horn, because that would have enabled me finally to determine, whether there is or is not a fouthern continent; but against this it was a fufficient objection that we must have kept in a high fouthern latitude in the very depth of winter, with a veffel which was not thought fufficient for the undertaking: and the fame reason was urged againft our proceeding directly for the Cape of Good Hope, with still more force, because no discovery of moment could be hoped for in that rout; it was therefore refolved that we should return by the Eaft Indies, and that with this view we fhould, upon leaving the coast, fteer weftward, till we should fall in with the east coast of New Holland, and then follow the direction of that coast to the northward, till we fhould arrive at its northern extremity; but if that should be found impracticable, it was further refolved that we should endeavour to fall in with the land, or islands, faid to have been discovered by Quiros. 1770. March. Friday 30. With this view, at break of day on Saturday the gift of Saturday 31. March 1770, we got under fail, and put to fea, with the advantage of a fresh gale at S. E. and clear weather, taking our departure from the eastern point, which we had seen at noon on the 23d, and to which, on this occafion, I gave the name of CAPE FAREWELL. The bay out of which we had just failed I called ADMIRALTY BAY, giving the name of CAPE STEPHENS to the north west point, and of CAPE JACKSON to the fouth eaft, after the two gentlemen who at this time were Secretaries to the Board. Admiralty Bay may easily be known by the island that has been just mentioned, which lies two miles N. E. of Cape Stephens, in latitude 40° 37 S. longitude 185° 6' W. and is of a confiderable height. Between this ifland and Cape Farewell, VOL. II. 3 K which |