"Aug. 22. The pinnace and yawl with the captn. and gentlemen went on shore to examine the contry and view the Coast. from one of the Hills some time after saw some Turtle. At 6 Possession was taken of this contry in his Majesty's Name and under his Colours, fired severell volleyes of small arms on ye Occasion and cheard 3 Times which was answd. from ye ship".
Gunner Forwood has a short story on Possession:—
"The Captn. took Possession of the country in his Majesty's Name &c. This was announced from the shore Vollies Fired and Colours flying from on board with Do. concluding with 3 cheers."
John Bootie's Log treats the Possession narrative in the exact terms of another, saying:—
"August 22. At 6 possession was taken of this locality in his Majesty's Name &c. This was announced from the shore by Vollies and answered from on bd. with Colours flying and concluding with 3 Cheers."
Here, again, as in the other cases, the words "New South Wales" do not occur.
The Palliser or Sunderland Log of Mr. Hudson's may be quoted:—
"Betwixt these two points we could see no land, so that we were in great hopes we had found a passage into the India Sea, but in order to be a little inform'd I landed with a party of men on the Island which lays on the right side of the Passage where from a hill I could see no lands in the above direction Before and after we anchor'd we saw many of the Natives upon this Island, but they all fled upon my landing—a little before Sun sett I took Possession of the country in His Majesty's Name, and fired a volley of small arms on the occasion, which was answered from the ship."
On this Possession subject we have the weightiest authority, Cook's autograph Log, Museum Catalogue, 27,885 for August 22, when leaving the Australian coast:—
"We were in great hopes that we had found a passage into the India Sea but in order to be better inform'd I landed with a Party of men on the Island which lays to the S.E. side of the Passage where from a hill saw no land in the above direction. Before and after we anchor'd we saw a good many of the Natives upon this Island but they all fled upon my landing. A little before sunsett I took possession of the Country in His Majesty's name and fired 3 Volleys of small arms on the occasion which was answerd from the ship. High water at 4 o'clock," &c.