1802.
January.
Friday 29.
south-eastward in a sandy beach, with a ridge of barren land behind. At sunset we passed to windward of Point Fowler, and stood off to sea for the night.
Saturday 30.Cape Nuyts bore north, two or three leagues, soon after daylight, and the wind was then at east; but as the day advanced it veered to the south-east, and permitted us to make a stretch toward the furthest land. At five in the evening we tacked near some low, whitish cliffs, which had been seen from the mast head when in Fowler's Bay; they were two or three miles off, and the furthest land visible from the deck bore S. 63° E., at no great distance. The coast here is broken into sandy beaches and small, cliffy points, and the same ridge of barren land runs behind it, but the elevation is not great.
Sunday 31. At three in the afternoon of the 31st, we reached in again with the coast, about four leagues beyond our situation on the preceding day. The depth at two miles off shore, was 7 fathoms on a coral bottom; the northern extreme bore N. 58° W., and a low point on the other side, named Point Bell, S. 45° E. seven miles. To seaward, a flat rock bore W. 3° S., one mile and a half; it is the largest of four which were called Sinclair's Rocks, and lie scattered at the distance of two or three miles off the coast. We stood off, at this time; but so little could be gained upon the south-east winds, that
when we came in next morning,February.
Monday 1. it was almost exactly in the same spot, and Point Bell was not passed until late in the afternoon; the weather, also, was adverse to the examination, being so hazy that the highest land could not be seen beyond three or four leagues.
