1802.
March.
Thurs. 18.
south, and longitude 137° 21′ east. On the south side of this point or island, for I could not fully ascertain its connexion, the shore falls back seven or eight miles to the east; and then trends southward. It is low and very sandy; but rises gradually to a level country, of the same description as that near Point Riley. At sunset, the land was seen as far as south-west-by-south; and the wind favouring us a little, we made a stretch for it. A fire upon the shore served as a mark to steer by; and on approaching it at ten o'clock, the anchor was let go in 6 fathoms, upon a bottom of coarse sand and small stones; the weather being fine, and wind moderate off the land.
The howling of dogs was heard during the night; and at daylightFriday 19. the shore was found to be distant two or three miles, and was woody, rising land, but not of much elevation. A remarkable point, which I named Corny Point, bearing S. 73° W. three miles, was the furthest land visible to the westward; its latitude, from meridian observations of Jupiter and the moon, is 34° 52′ south, and longitude from the time keepers 137° 6½′ east. Between this point and Point Pearce, twenty-eight miles to the north-north-east, is a large bay, well sheltered from all southern winds, and none others seem to blow with much strength here. The land trends eastward about seven leagues, from Corny Point to the head of the bay; but what the depth of water may be there, or whether any fresh stream fall into it, I am not able to state; the land, however, was better wooded, and had a more fertile appearance than any before seen in the neighbourhood. I called this Hardwicke Bay, in honour of the noble earl of that title.
Several observations for the variation of the compass had been taken whilst beating in the neighbourhood of Point Pearce. On its north side, eight miles from the shore, an amplitude with the ship's head S.W. by S. gave 4° 38′ east; at E. by N., when fourteen miles off, another gave 1° 13′ east; but azimuths three or four miles nearer in, 0° 10′ west; and at S.E., when six miles off, 0° 35′ west. On the south side of Point Pearce, the head being S.S.W., and the