10 Leagues wide at the Entrance, with several Islands laying in and before, and I believe Shoals also, for we had very irregular Soundings, from 10 to 5 and 4 fathoms. At Noon we were by Observation in the Lat. of 21° 29′ S., and Long. made from Cape Townshend 59° W. A point of Land, which forms the N.W. Entrance into Broad Sound, bore from us at this Time W., distance 3 Leagues; this Cape I have named Cape Palmerston[1] (Lat. 21° 27′ S., Long. 210° 57′ W.). Between this Cape and Cape Townshend lies the Bay of Inlets, so named from the Number of Inlets, Creeks, etc., in it.[2]
Saturday, 2nd.—Winds at S.S.E. and S.E., a gentle breeze, with which we stood to the N.W. and N.W. by N., as the land lay, under an easey Sail. Having a boat ahead, found our Soundings at first were very irregular, from 9 to 4 fathoms; but afterwards regular, from 9 to 11 fathoms. At 8, being about 2 Leagues from the Main Land, we Anchor'd in 11 fathoms, Sandy bottom. Soon after this we found a Slow Motion of a Tide seting to the Eastward, and rode so until 6, at which time the tide had risen 11 feet; we now got under Sail, and Stood away N.N.W. as the land lay. From the Observations made on the tide last Night it is plain that the flood comes from the N.W.; whereas Yesterday and for Several days before we found it to come from the S.E. This is neither the first nor second time that we have observed the same thing, and in my Opinion easy accounted for; but this I shall do in another place. At sun rise we found the Variation to be 6° 45′ E. In steering along shore between the Island and the Main, at the Distance of 2 Leagues from the Latter, and 3 or 4 from the former, our soundings were Regular, from 12 to 9 fathoms; but about 11 o'Clock we were again embarrassed with Shoal Water,[3] but got clear without letting go an Anchor; we had at one time not quite 3 fathoms. At Noon we were about 2 Leagues from the Main land, and about 4 from the Islands without us; our Lat. by Observation was 20° 56′ S., Long. made from C. Palmerston 16° W.; a pretty high Promontory, which I named Cape Hillsborough,[4] bore W. ½ N., distant 7 Miles. The Main Land is here pretty much diversified with Mountains, Hills, plains, and Vallies, and seem'd to be tollerably Cloathed with Wood and Verdure. These Islands, which lay Parrallel with the Coast, and from 5 to 8 or 9 Leagues off, are of Various Extent, both for height and Circuit; hardly any Exceeds
- ↑ Henry Viscount Palmerston was a Lord of the Admiralty, 1766–1778.
- ↑ The name Bay of Inlets has disappeared from the charts. Cook applied it to the whole mass of bays in this locality, covering over 60 miles. A look at a modern chart causes amazement that Cook managed to keep his ship off the ground, as the whole sea in his track is strewed with dangers.
- ↑ Blackwood Shoals.
- ↑ Earl of Hillsborough was the First Secretary of State for the Colonies, and President of the Board of Trade when the Endeavour sailed.
