at S. S. E., with thick, hazy weather. At eight in the morning, high land was distinguished two points on the weather bow, and sand hills from thence to abaft the lee beam, not more than six or seven miles distant. We immediately hauled the wind to the eastward, and carried every sail the sloop could bear in such a sea as was then running. The land to windward was judged to be near the Ram Head; although our reckoning was 20' short in latitude, and we supposed ourselves to the eastward.
To make certain of clearing Cape Howe, the eastern course was prolonged until day-light of the 10th; we then bore away, and at noon were in latitude 37° 5'. On the 11th, the observation gave 34° 30'; and the gale still continuing, we anchored within the heads of Port Jackson at ten o'clock the same evening, having exceeded, by no more than eleven days, the time which had been fixed for our return.
To the strait which had been the great object of research, and whose discovery was now completed, governor Hunter gave, at my recommendation, the name of BASS' STRAIT. This was no more than a just tribute to my worthy friend and companion, for the extreme dangers and fatigues he had undergone in first entering it in the whale boat, and to the correct judgment he had formed from various indications, of the existence of a wide opening between Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales.
FLINDERS. 1799.
The success of this expedition favoured my views of further discovery; and the Reliance not being immediately wanted for service, His Excellency accepted a proposition to explore Glass-house and Hervey's Bays, two large openings to the northward, of which the entrances only were known. I had some hope of finding a considerable river discharging itself at one of these openings, and of being able by its means to penetrate further into the interior of the country than had hitherto been effected.
The sloop Norfolk was again allotted to me, with nearly the same volunteer crew as before; and I was accompanied by Mr. S. W. Flinders, a midshipman of the Reliance, and by Bongaree, a native, whose good disposition and manly conduct had attracted my esteem. Of the assistance of my able friend Bass I was, however, deprived, he having quitted the station soon after our last voyage, to return to England. The time of my absence was limited by the governor to six weeks, some arrivals being then expected which might call the Reliance into active service.
(Atlas, Plate VIII.)
We sailed out of Port Jackson on July 8; and next morning came in with a part of the coast, north of Port Stephens, which captain Cook had passed in the night.* Off a projection which I called Sugar-loaf Point, in latitude 32° 29', lie two rocks to the south-eastward, at the distances of two and four miles. We passed between these rocks and the point, and kept close in with the shore as far to the north as the hills called Three Brothers by captain Cook, of which the northernmost and highest lies in latitude 31° 43' south.
[* The journal of this expedition, delivered to governor Hunter on my return, having been published in great part by colonel Collins, the account here given will be brief, and almost wholly confined to nautical subjects. The reader who desires more information upon the lands visited, and upon their productions and inhabitants, is referred to the Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Vol II. page 225 to 263.]
(Atlas, Plate IX.)
July 10, the observed latitude of 31° 38' showed a set of 33' to the south; whereas it had the day before been 8' the contrary way. Our distance from the shore had then become six leagues, owing to a foul wind; but we got in with it again in the evening, and steered northward with a fair breeze. On the 11th we sailed amongst the Solitary Isles, of which five were added to the number before seen; and the space from thence to twelve leagues northward having been passed by captain Cook in the night, I continued to keep close in with the coast.
In latitude 29° 43', we discovered a small opening like a river, with an islet lying in the entrance; and at sunset, entered a larger, to which I gave the name of SHOAL BAY, an appellation which it but too well merited. On the south side of the entrance, which is the deepest, there is ten feet at low water; and within side, the depth is from 2 to 4 fathoms in a channel near the south shore: the rest of the bay is mostly occupied by shoals, over which boats can scarcely pass when the tide is out. High water appeared to take place about seven hours after the moon's passage; at which time, a ship drawing not more than fourteen feet might venture in, if severely pressed. Shoal Bay is difficult to be found, except by its latitude, which is 29° 26½'; but there is on the low land about four leagues to the southward, a small hill somewhat peaked, which may serve as a mark to vessels coming from that direction.
July 12. The morning was employed in examining the bay, and in looking round the country. The sloop had sprung a bad leak, and I wished to have laid her on shore; but not finding a convenient place, nor any thing of particular interest to detain me longer, we sailed at one o'clock, when the tide began to rise. Cape Byron, in latitude 28° 38', and the coast for twelve miles to the north and south, were passed on the 13th: but no particular addition or correction could be made to captain Cook's chart. At Moreton Bay, further on, that navigator had left it in doubt whether there were any opening; and therefore we closed in again with the land at Point Look-out, on the 14th. At noon, the point bore S. 42° E., three or four miles, and a small flat islet E. 3° N. three miles; the opening in Moreton Bay was then evident, and bore W. N. W. It is small, and formed by two sandy points, beyond which a large extent of water was visible. Our latitude at this time, was 27° 24', giving that of Point Look-out to be 27° 27' south. Captain Cook says it is "in latitude 27° 6';"* a difference which probably arose from his having allowed for a strong northern current during the run of four or five hours from the preceding noon, whereas, in reality, none existed; for his course and distance by log, from the noon's observation, would give the point in its true latitude.
[* Hawkesworth's Voyages, Vol III. page 119.]
We stood on to within two miles of the opening in Moreton Bay; but seeing it blocked up by many shoals of sand, and the depth having diminished from 12 to 4 fathoms, the course was altered for Cape Moreton, which was visible seven or eight leagues to the northward. At eight in the evening, the anchor was dropped in 7 fathoms at the entrance of Glass-house Bay, Cape Moreton bearing E. S. E. two or three miles.
But little progress was made up the bay on the 15th, owing to the many shoals in it, and to a foul wind. At noon, the latitude of Cape Moreton was ascertained to be 27° 0½' south, and the longitude from distances of stars east and west of the moon, corrected by the observations at Greeenwich, was 153° 25' east; being 4½' south, and 7' west of its position by captain Cook. In the evening, when the lunar distances were observed, the sloop was at anchor in 11 fathoms on the west side of the entrance, within two miles of a low projection which an unfortunate occurrence afterwards caused to be named Point Skirmish.
On the 16th, whilst beating up amongst the shoals, an opening was perceived round the point; and being much in want of a place to lay the sloop on shore, on account of the leak, I tried to enter it; but not finding it accessible from the south, was obliged to make the examination with the boat, whilst the sloop lay at anchor five miles off. There was a party of natives on the point, and our communication was at first friendly; but after receiving presents they made an attack, and one of them was wounded by our fire. Proceeding up the opening, I found it to be more than a mile in width; and from the quantities of pumice stone on the borders, it was named Pumice-stone River. It led towards the remarkable peaks called the Glass Houses, which were now suspected to be volcanic, and excited my curiosity.
On board the sloop, the leak had, in the mean time, been found to arise from a plank having started from the timbers, at three or four streaks above the keel; and the open space being filled up with oakum from the inside, very little water came in; I therefore left the river and the Glass Houses for a future examination, and proceeded up the bay with the afternoon's flood. On the 18th at noon, we had passed two low islands surrounded with shoals, and were at anchor in 6 fathoms, abreast of a third. The south point of the
