c is covered, and not quite half a mile in length; its latitude is 15 degrees 32 minutes: it lies four miles from the shore.
d is rather larger, and has some dry rocks on its north end, in latitude 15 degrees 29 minutes 30 seconds. Between c and d and the shore the passage is from three to four miles wide, and in mid-channel the depth is seven and eight fathoms.
On the south side of Point Monkhouse there is a bay having a small opening at the bottom, but not deep enough for ships: it was this bay that Captain Cook first examined in search of a place to repair his ship.
On steering along the shore between Point Monkhouse and the entrance of Endeavour River, the bottom is of sand and of irregular depth. A spit of sand was passed over with only two and a half fathoms on it when the summit of Mount Cook bore South 66 degrees West (magnetic) and the outer extreme of Point Monkhouse South 18 degrees West (magnetic). One mile off shore the shoal soundings continued with two and a half fathoms until it bore South 59 degrees West (magnetic) when the depth was three, and three and a half fathoms.
ENDEAVOUR RIVER. The entrance of this river, in latitude 15 degrees 27 minutes 4 seconds, and longitude 145 degrees 10 minutes 49 seconds,* forms a very good port for small vessels; and, in a case of distress, might be useful for large ships, as it proved to our celebrated navigator Captain Cook, who, it is well known, repaired his ship there after having laid twenty-three hours upon a coral reef.
(*Footnote. The situation of the observatory at Endeavour River was found by lunar distances, taken during my visits to that place in 1819 and 1820, as follows:
Latitude by meridional altitudes of the sun, taken in the artificial horizon, being the mean of twenty-seven observations: 15 degrees 27 minutes 4 seconds.
Longitude by twenty-five set of distances (sun West of first quarter of the moon) containing one hundred and seventeen sights, with the sextant: 144 degrees 52 minutes 16 seconds.
Longitude by thirty set of distances (sun East of first quarter of the moon) containing one hundred and fifty sights, with the sextant: 145 degrees 29 minutes 23 seconds.
Mean, of fifty-five sets: 145 degrees 10 minutes 49 seconds.)
The entrance is formed on the south side by a steep hill, covered with trees growing to the edge of its rocky shore. The north side of the entrance is a low sandy beach of two miles and a quarter in length: at its north end a range of hills rises abruptly, and extends for six or seven miles, when it again suddenly terminates, and is separated from the rocky projection of Cape Bedford by a low plain of sand.
The entrance of Endeavour River is defended by a bar, on which, at high water, there is about fourteen feet; but, at low water, not more than ten feet: the channel over the bar is close to the south side, for the sandbank extends from the low sandy north shore to within one hundred and forty yards of the south shore, and at three quarters ebb (spring tides) is dry.
In steering in for the mouth, upon bringing Point Monkhouse in a line with Point a (the north point of the bay under Mount Cook) you will be in three fathoms; steer in until the south extremity of the low north sandy point is opened of the trend round Point c, when you may haul a little more in, and when point d (which is a point where the mangroves commence) bears South 33 degrees West (magnetic) steer directly for it; this will carry you over the deepest part or the bar, which stretches off from point c in a North 75 degrees West (magnetic) direction; another mark is to keep the trend beyond d just in sight, but not open, or you will be too near the spit: the best way is, having opened it, haul in a little to the southward, and shut it in again: you may pass within ten yards of point d; and the best anchorage is just within it; the vessel may be secured head and stern to trees on the beach, with bow and stern anchors to steady her. No vessel of a greater draught than twelve feet should enter the harbour; and this vessel may even moor in four fathoms within her own length of the shore, with the outer trend just shut in by the mangrove point a. The watering-place is a stream that empties itself into the port through the mangroves, about two hundred yards to the south: and if this should fail, there is a good stream at the north end of the long north sandy beach. The latter, although very high coloured, is of wholesome quality; but in bad weather is inconvenient to be procured on account of the surf. Water for common purposes of cooking may be had on a sandy beach a little without the entrance, but it is of a mineral quality, and of brackish taste. It is high water at full and change at eight o'clock, and the tide rises from five to ten feet. The variation of the observatory was 5 degrees 14 minutes East.
CAPE BEDFORD (latitude 15 degrees 16 minutes 19 seconds, longitude 145 degrees 17 minutes 19 seconds) is high, and forms a steep slope to the sea: it appeared to be bold to.* Between it and Cape Flattery is a bay backed by low land, about five miles deep; but it is exposed to the wind, unless there is anchorage under the north-west end of Cape Bedford.