At day-break, on Sunday the 6th of May 1770, we set sail from Botany Bay, with a light breeze at N.W. which soon after coming to the southward, we steered along the shore N.N.E.; and at noon, our latitude, by observation, was 33° 50' S. At this time we were between two and three miles distant from the land, and a-breast of a bay, or harbour, in which there appeared to be good anchorage, and which I called Port Jackson. This harbour lies three leagues to the northward of Botany Bay: The variation, by several azimuths, appeared to be 8° E. At sun-set, the northermost land in sight bore N. 26 E. and some broken land, that seemed to form a bay, bore N. 40 W. distant four leagues. This bay, which lies in latitude 33° 42' I called Broken Bay. We steered along the shore N.N.E. all night, at the distance of about three leagues from the land, having from thirty-two to thirty-six fathom water, with a hard sandy bottom.
Soon after sun-rise on the 7th, I took several azimuths, with four needles belonging to the azimuth compass, the mean result of which gave the variation 7° 56' E. At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 33° 22' S.: We were about three leagues from the shore; the northermost land in sight bore N. 19 E. and some lands which projected in three bluff points, and which, for that reason; I called Cape Three Points, bore S.W. distant five leagues. Our longitude from Botany Bay was 19' E. In the afternoon, we saw smoke in several places upon the shore, and in the evening, found the variation to be 8° 25' E. At this time we were between two and three miles from the shore, in twenty-eight fathom; and at noon the next day, we had not advanced one step to the northward. We stood off shore, with the winds northerly, till twelve at night, and at the distance of about five leagues, had seventy fathom; at the distance of six leagues we had eighty fathom, which is the extent of the soundings; for at the distance of ten leagues, we had no ground with 150 fathom.
The wind continuing northerly, till the morning of the 10th, we continued to stand in and off the shore, with very little change of situation in other respects; but a gale then springing up at S.W. we made the best of our way along the shore to the northward. At sun-rise, our latitude was 33° 2' S. and the variation 8° E. At nine in the forenoon, we passed a remarkable hill, which stood a little way inland, and somewhat resembled the crown of a hat: And at noon, our latitude, by observation, was 32° 53' S., and our longitude 208° W. We were about two leagues distant from the land, which extended from N. 41 E. to S. 41 W., and a small round rock, or island, which lay close under the land, bore S. 82 W. distant between three and four leagues. At four in the afternoon, we passed, at the distance of about a mile, a low rocky point, which I called Point Stephens, on the north side of which is an inlet, which I called Port Stephens: This inlet appeared to me, from the mast-head, to be sheltered from all winds. It lies in latitude 32° 40', longitude 207° 51', and at the entrance are three small islands, two of which are high; and on the main near the shore are some high round hills, which at a distance appear like islands. In passing this bay, at the distance of two or three miles from the shore, our soundings were from thirty-three to twenty-seven fathom, from which I conjectured that there must be a sufficient depth of water within it. At a little distance within land, we saw smoke in several places; and at half an hour past five, the northermost land in sight bore N. 36 E. and Point Stephens S.W. distant four leagues. Our soundings in the night, were from forty-eight to sixty-two fathom, at the distance of between three and four leagues from the shore, which made in two hillocks. This Point I called Cape Hawke: It lies in the latitude of 32° 14' S., longitude 207° 30' W.; and at four o'clock in the morning bore W. distant about eight miles; at the same time the northermost land in sight bore N. 6 E. and appeared like an island. At noon, this land bore N. 8 E. the northermost land in sight N. 13 E. and Cape Hawke S. 37 W. Our latitude, by observation, was 32° 2' S. which was twelve miles to the southward of that given by the log; so that probably we had a current setting that way: By the morning amplitude and azimuth, the variation was 9° 10' E. During our run along the shore, in the afternoon, we saw smoke in several places, at a little distance from the beach, and one upon the top of a hill, which was the first we had seen upon elevated ground since our arrival upon the coast. At sun-set, we had twenty-three fathom, at the distance of a league and a half from the shore: The northermost land then bore N. 13 E. and three hills, remarkably large and high, lying contiguous to each other, and not far from the beach, N.N.W. As these hills bore some resemblance to each other, we called them The Three Brothers. They lie in latitude 31° 40' and maybe seen fourteen or sixteen leagues. We steered N.E. by N. all night, having from twenty-seven to sixty-seven fathom, at the distance of between two and six leagues from the shore.
At day-break, we steered north, for the northermost land in sight. At noon, we were four leagues from the shore, and by observation, in latitude 31° 18' S., which was fifteen miles to the southward of that given by the log; our longitude 206° 58' W. In the afternoon, we stood in for the land, where we saw smoke in several places, till six in the evening, when, being within three or four miles of it, and in twenty-four fathom of water, we stood off with a fresh breeze at N. and N.N.W. till midnight, when we had 118 fathom, at the distance of eight leagues from the land, and then tacked. At three in the morning, the wind veered to the westward, when we tacked and stood to the northward. At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 30° 43' S., and our longitude 206° 45' W. At this time we were between three and four leagues from the shore, the northermost part of which bore from us N. 13 W. and a point, or head-land, on which we saw fires that produced a great quantity of smoke, bore W. distant four leagues. To this Point I gave the name of Smokey Cape: It is of a considerable height, and over the pitch of the point is a round hillock; within it are two others, much higher and larger, and within them the land is very low. Our latitude was 30° 31' S., longitude 206° 54' W.: This day the observed latitude was only five miles south of the log. We saw smoke in several parts along the coast, besides that seen upon Smokey Cape.
In the afternoon, the wind being at N.E. we stood off and on, and at three or four miles distance from the shore had thirty fathom water: The wind afterwards coming cross of land, we stood to the northward, having from thirty to twenty-one fathom, at the distance of four or five miles from the shore.
At five in the morning, the wind veered to the north, and blew fresh, attended with squalls: At eight, it began to thunder and rain, and in about an hour it fell calm, which gave us an opportunity to sound, and we had eighty-six fathom at between four and five leagues from the shore: Soon after this we had a gale from the southward, with which we steered N. by W. for the northermost land in sight. At noon, we were about four leagues from the shore, and by observation, in latitude 30° 22', which was nine miles to the southward of our reckoning, longitude 206° 39' W. Some lands near the shore, of a considerable height, bore W.
As we advanced to the northward from Botany Bay, the land gradually increased in height, so that in this latitude it may be called a hilly country. Between this latitude and the Bay, it exhibits a pleasing variety of ridges, hills, vallies, and plains, all clothed with wood, of the same appearance with that which has been particularly described: The land near the shore is in general low and sandy, except the points, which are rocky, and over many of them are high bills, which, at their first rising out of the water, have the appearance of islands.[73] In the afternoon, we had some small rocky islands between us and the land, the southermost of which lies in latitude 30° 10', and the northermost in 29° 58', and somewhat more than two leagues from the land: About two miles without the northermost island we had thirty-three fathom water. Having the advantage of a moon, we steered along the shore all night, in the direction of N. and N. by E. keeping at the distance of about three leagues from the land, and having from twenty to twenty-five fathom water. As soon as it was light, having a fresh gale, we made all the sail we could, and at nine o'clock in the morning, being about a league from the shore, we discovered smoke in many places, and having recourse to our glasses, we saw about twenty of the natives, who had each a large bundle upon his back, which we conjectured to be palm-leaves for covering their houses: We continued to observe them above an hour, during which they walked upon the beach, and up a path that led over a hill of a gentle ascent, behind which we lost sight of them: Not one of them was observed to stop and look towards us, but they trudged along, to all appearance, without the least emotion either of curiosity or surprise, though it is impossible they should not have seen the ship by a casual glance as they walked along the shore; and though she must, with respect to every other object they had yet seen, have been little less stupendous and unaccountable than a floating mountain with all its woods would have been to us. At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 28° 39' S., and longitude 206° 27' W. A high point of land, which I named Cape Byron, bore N.W. by W. at the distance of three miles. It lies in latitude 28° 37' 30" S., longitude 206° 30' W., and may be known by a remarkable sharp peaked mountain, which lies inland, and bears from it N.W. by W. From this point, the land trends N. 13 W.: Inland it is high and hilly, but low near the shore; to the southward of the point it is also low and level. We continued to steer along the shore with a fresh gale, till sun-set, when we suddenly discovered breakers a-head, directly in the ship's course and also on our larboard bow. At this time we were about five miles from the land, and had twenty fathom water: We hauled up east till eight, when we had run eight miles, and increased our depth of water to forty-four fathom: We then brought-to, with the ship's head to the eastward, and lay upon this tack till ten, when, having increased our sounding to seventy-eight fathom, we wore, and lay with the ship's head to the land till five in the morning, when we made sail, and at day-light, were greatly surprised to find ourselves farther to the southward, than we had been the evening before, though the wind had been southerly, and blown fresh all night: We now saw the breakers again within us, and passed them at the distance of one league. They lie in latitude 28° 8' S. stretching off east two leagues from a point of land, under which is a small island. Their situation may always be known by the peaked mountain which has been just mentioned, and which bears from them S.W. by W. for this reason I have named it Mount Warning. It lies seven or eight leagues inland, in latitude 28° 22' S. The land about it is high and hilly, but it is of itself sufficiently conspicuous to be at once distinguished from every other object. The Point off which these shoals lie, I have named Point Danger. To the northward of this Point the land is low, and trends N.W. by N.; but it soon turns again more to the northward.
[Footnote 73: The appearance and adjustment of the hills in New Holland have attracted very considerable regard. They are thought to bear a strong resemblance in disposition to the Andes in South America. Some interesting information on this topic will be given when we treat of another voyage. This hint may suffice for the present.--E.]
At noon, we were about two leagues from the land, and by observation, in latitude 27° 46' S., which was seventeen miles to the southward of the log; our longitude was 206° 26' W. Mount Warning bore S. 26 W. distant fourteen leagues, and the northermost land in sight bore N. We pursued our course along the shore, at the distance of about two leagues, in the direction of N. 1/4 E. till between four and five in the afternoon, when we discovered breakers in our larboard bow. Our depth of water was thirty-seven fathom, and at sun-set, the northermost land bore N. by W. the breakers N.W. by W. distant four miles, and the northermost land set at noon, which formed a point, and to which I gave the name of Point Look-out, W. distant five or six miles, in the latitude of 27° 6'. On the north side of this Point, the shore forms a wide open bay, which I called Moreton's Bay, in the bottom of which the land is so low that I could but just see it from the top-mast head. The breakers lie between three or four miles from Point Look-out; and at this time we had a great sea from the southward, which broke upon them very high. We stood on N.N.E. till eight o'clock, when having passed the breakers, and deepened our water to fifty-two fathom, we brought-to till midnight, when we made sail again to the N.N.E. At four in the morning, we had 135 fathom, and when the day broke, I perceived that during the night I had got much farther northward, and from the shore, than I expected from the course we steered, for we were distant at least seven leagues; I therefore hauled in N.W. by W. with a fresh gale at S.S.W. The land that was farthest to the north the night before, now bore S.S.W. distant six leagues, and I gave it the name of Cape Moreton, it being the north point of Moreton's Bay: Its latitude is 26° 56', and its longitude is 206° 28'. From Cape Moreton the land trends away west, farther than can be seen, for there is a small space, where at this time no land is visible, and some on board having also observed that the sea looked paler than usual, were of opinion that the bottom of Moreton's Bay opened into a river. We had here thirty-four fathom water, and a fine sandy bottom: This alone would have produced the change that had been observed in the colour of the water; and it was by no means necessary to suppose a river to account for the land at the bottom of the Bay not being visible, for supposing the land there to be as low as we knew it to be in a hundred other parts of the coast, it would have been impossible to see it from the station of the ship; however, if any future navigator should be disposed to determine the question, whether there is or is not a river in this place, which the wind would not permit us to do, the situation may always be found by three hills which lie to the northward of it, in the latitude of 26° 53'. These hills lie but a very little way inland, and not far from each other: They are remarkable for the singular form of their elevation, which very much resembles a glasshouse, and for which reason I called them the Glass Houses: The northermost of the three is the highest and largest: There are also several other peaked hills inland to the northward of these, but they are not nearly so remarkable.[74] At noon, our latitude was, by observation, 26° 28' S. which was ten miles to the northward of the log, a circumstance which had never before happened upon this coast; our longitude was 206° 46'. At this time we were between two and three leagues from the land, and had twenty-four fathom water. A low bluff point, which was the south head of a sandy bay, bore N. 62 W., distant three leagues, and the northermost point of land in sight bore N. 1/4 E. This day we saw smoke in several places, and some at a considerable distance inland.
[Footnote 74: The depth of the Bay from Cape Moreton is said to be 34 miles--it then contracts into a small stream; and there is a considerable river near Glass-House Peaks, as they have been called.--E.]