1803.
September.
Friday 2.
gathered some fine oysters, and the wind dying away to a calm in the afternoon, rowed out for Smoky Cape; but on reaching abreast of it the wind again rose a-head; and at one in the morning we anchored in a Small bight at the extremity of the Cape, and remained until daylight.
Saturday 3.The wind was still contrary on the 3rd, nevertheless we stood out and beat to the southward until four in the afternoon; when the sea having become too high for the boat, we anchored under the lee of a small projecting point, eight or ten leagues to the south of Smoky Cape; which distance had been gained in about ten hours, principally by means of the current.
Sunday 4. On the 4th, we again attempted to beat to the southward; but the wind being light as well as foul, and the sea running high, not much was gained; at noon the weather threatened so much, that it became necessary to look out for a place of shelter, and we steered into a bight with rocks in it, which I judge to have been on the north side of Tacking Point. At the head of the bight is a lagoon; but the entrance proving to be very shallow, and finding no security, we continued on our voyage; trusting that some place of shelter would present itself, if obliged to seek it by necessity. Towards evening the wind and weather became more favourable;Monday 5. in the morning, the Three Brothers were in sight; and at noon I observed the latitude 31° 57′, when the middlemost of these hills bore N.N.W. and our distance offshore was two or three leagues.
(Atlas,Pl. VIII.)At this time the wind blew a moderate sea breeze at E.S.E., Cape Hawke was seen soon afterward, and at eight in the evening we steered between Sugar-loaf Point and the two rocks lying from it three or four miles to the south-east. Tuesday 6.At four next morning, passed the islands at the entrance of Port Stephens, and at noon the Coal Island in the mouth of Port Hunter bore N.W. by N.; the wind then shifted more to the southward, with squally weather, and both prevented the boat from lying along the coast and made it unsafe to be at sea. After struggling till four in the afternoon, with
