The Run from New Zealand to Botany Bay, on the Eaft H 1770. March. AVING failed from Cape Farewell, which lies in latitude 40° 33' S. longitude 186o W. on Saturday the 31st of March, 1770, we steered westward, Saturd. 31. with a fresh gale at N. N. E. and at noon, on the 2d April. of April, our latitude, by obfervation, was 40°, our Monday 2. longitude from Cape Farewell 2° 31' W. In the morning of the 9th, being in latitude 38° 29' Monday 9. S. we faw a tropic bird, which in fo high a latitude is very uncommon. In the morning of the 10th, being in latitude 38° Tuesd. 10. 51'S. longitude 202° 43' W. we found the variation, by the amplitude, to be 11° 25' E. and by the azimuth 11° 20% t In the morning of the 11th, the variation was 13o Wedn, 15. 48', which is two degrees and an half more than the day before, though I expected to have found it lefs. 1770. In the courfe of the 13th, being in latitude 39° 23' S. April. longitude 204° 2' W. I found the variation to be 12° Friday 13. 27 E. and in the morning of the 14th it was 11° 30'. Saturd. 14. This day we also faw fome flying-fish. On the 15th we Sunday 15. faw an egg-bird and a gannet; and as thefe are birds Monday 16. that never go far from the land, we continued to found all night, but had no ground with 130 fathoms. At noon, on the 16th, we were in latitude 39° 45' S. longitude 208 W. At about two o'clock the wind came about to the W. S. W. upon which we tacked and flood to the N. W. foon after a small land-bird perched upon the rigging, but we had no ground with 120 fathoms. At eight we wore and stood to the fouthward till twelve at night, and then wore and flood to the Tuesday 17. N. W. till four in the morning, when we again stood to the fouthward, having a fresh gale at W. S. W. with fqualls and dark weather till nine, when the weather became clear, and there being little wind, we had an opportunity to take feveral obfervations of the fun and moon, the mean result of which gave 207° 56′ W. longitude; our latitude at noon was 39° 36′ S. We had now a hard gale from the fouthward, and a great fea from the fame quarter, which obliged us to run under our fore-fail and mizen all night, during which we founded every two hours, but had no ground with 120 fathoms. Wednef. 18. In the morning of the 18th we faw two Port Egmont hens, and a pintado bird, which are certain figns of approaching land, and indeed, by our reckoning, we could not be far from it, for our longitude was now one degree to the westward of the east side of Van Diemen's land, according to the longitude laid down by Tafman, whom we could not fuppofe to have erred much in fo fhort a run as from this land to New Zealand; and by our latitude we could not be above fifty or fifty-five leagues from the place whence he took his departure. All this day we had frequent fqualls and a great fwell. Thurf. 19. At one in the morning we brought to and founded, but had no ground with 130 fathoms. At fix we faw land extending from N. E. to W. at the diftance of five or fix leagues, having eighty fathoms water, with a fine fandy bottom. We We continued standing westward, with the wind at S. S. W. till eight, when we made all the fail we could, and bore away along the fhore N. E. for the eastermost land in fight, being at this time in latitude 37° 58' S. and longitude 210° 39′ W. The fouthermoft point of land in fight, which bore from us W. S. I judged to lie in latitude 38°, longitude 211° 7', and gave it the name of POINT HICKS, because Mr. Hicks, the First Lieutenant, was the first who discovered it. To the fouthward of this Point no land was to be feen, though it was very clear in that quarter, and by our longitude, compared with that of Tafman, not as it is laid down in the printed charts, but in the extracts from Tafman's journal, published by Rembrantfe, the body of Van Diemen's land ought to have borne due fouth: and indeed, from the fudden falling of the fea, after the wind abated, I had reason to think it did; yet as I did not fee it, and as I found this coast trend N. E. and S. W、 or rather more to the eastward, I cannot determine whether it joins to Van Diemen's land or not. At noon we were in latitude 37° 50', longitude 210° 29′ W. The extremes of the land extended from N. W. to E. N. E. and a remarkable point before N. 20 E. at the distance of about four leagues. This point rifes in a round hillock, very much resembling the Ram Head at the entrance of Plymouth Sound, and therefore I called it by the fame name. The variation by an azimuth, taken this morning, was 3° 7' E. and what we had now feen of the land appeared low and level; the fea-fhore was a white fand, but the country within was green and woody. About one o'clock we faw three water-fpouts at once, two were between us and the shore, and the third at fome diftance, upon our larboard quarter: this phænomenon is fo well known, that it is not neceffary to give a particular defcription of it here. At fix o'clock in the evening we fhortened fail, and brought to for the night, having fifty-fix fathoms water, and a fine fandy bottom. The northermost land in fight then bore N. E. by E. E. and a small island lying close to a point on the main bore W. distant two leagues. This point, which I called CAPE Howe, may 1770. April. 1770. April. Friday 20. Saturd, 21. may be known by the trending of the coaft, which is north on the one fide, and fouth-west on the other; it may also be known by fome round hills upon the main, just within it. We brought to for the night, and at four in the morning made fail along fhore to the northward. At fix, the northermoft land in fight bore N. N. W. and we were at this time about four leagues from the shore. At noon we were in latitude 36° 51'S. longitude 209° 53′ W. and about three leagues distant from the shore. The weather being clear, gave us a good view of the country, which has a very pleafing appearance: it is of a moderate height, diverfified by hills and vallies, ridges and plains, interfperfed with a few lawns of no great extent, but in general covered with wood; the afcent of the hills and ridges is gentle, and the fummits are not high. We continued to fail along the fhore to the northward, with a foutherly wind, and in the afternoon we faw fmoke in feveral places, by which we knew the country to be inhabited. At fix in the evening we fhortened fail and founded; we found forty-four fathoms water, with a clear fandy bottom, and stood on under an eafy fail till twelve, when we brought to for the night, and had ninety fa thoms water. At four in the morning we made fail again, at the distance of about five leagues from the land, and at fix we were a-breast of a high mountain, lying near the shore, which, on account of its figure, I called MOUNT DROMEDARY; under this mountain the fhore forms a point, to which I gave the name of POINT DROMEDARY, and over it there is a peaked hillock. At this time, being in latitude 36° 18′ S. longitude 209° 55′ W. we found the variation to be 10° 42' E. Between ten and eleven, Mr. Green and I took feveral obfervations of the fun and moon, the mean refult of which gave 209° 17' longitude W. By an obfervation made the day before, our longitude was 210° 9′ W. from which 20' being fubtracted, there remained 2090 49', the longitude of the fhip this day at noon; the mean of which, with this day's obfervation, give 209° 33', by which I fix the longitude of this coaft, At noon our latitude was 35° 49' S. Cape Dromedary bore April. bore S. 30 W. at the distance of twelve leagues, and 1770. an open bay, in which were three or four small islands, bore N. W. by W. at the distance of five or fix leagues. This bay feemed to afford but little shelter from the fea winds, and yet it is the only place where there appeared a probability of finding anchorage upon the whole coaft. We continued to fteer along the fhore N. by E. and N. N. E. at the distance of about three leagues, and faw smoke in many places near the beach. At five in the evening we were a-breaft of a point of land which rofe in a perpendicular cliff, and which, for that reason, I called POINT UPRIGHT. Our latitude was 35° 35' S. when this Point bore from us due weft, diftant about two leagues. In this fituation we had about thirty-one fathoms water, with a fandy bottom. At fix in the evening, the wind falling, we hauled off E. N. E. and at this time the northermoft land in fight bore N. by E. E. At midnight, being in feventy fathoms water, we brought to till four in the morning, when we made fail in for the land: but at day-break found our fituation nearly the fame as it Sunday 22. had been at five the evening before, by which it was apparent, that we had been driven about three leagues to the fouthward, by a tide or current, during the night. After this we fteered along the fhore N. N. E. with a gentle breeze at S. W. and were fo near the land as to diftinguifh feveral of the natives upon the beach, who appeared to be of a black or, very dark colour. At noon, our latitude, by obfervation, was 35° 27' S. and longitude 209° 23' W. Cape Dromedary bore S. 28 W. distant nineteen leagues, a remarkable peaked hill, which resembled a fquare dovehoufe, with a dome at the top, and which, for that reason, I called the PIGEON-HOUSE, bore N. 32° 30′ W. and a small low ifland, which lay clofe under the fhore, bore N. W. diftant about two or three leagues. When I first discovered this ifland, in the morning, I was in hopes, from its appearance, that I fhould have found fhelter for the fhip behind it, but when we came near it, it did not promise fecurity even for the landing of a boat: I fhould, however, have attempted to fend a boat on fhore, if the wind had not veered to that direction, with a large hollow fea |