Sep 19, 1792 Home Providence Log Sep 21, 1792
Revised Aug 27 2021
1 pm: Fresh Breezes and fair Weather with much Haze.
2 pm: Many Boobies and kind of Gulls.
3 pm: Hailed Lieut. Portlock to come on board. Hove to. Gave him directions to keep on a Wind the whole Night, wearing every hour as soon as the Signal was made by me. He returned on board and I had the Boats hoisted in and depended on our own led [lead: pronounced led] for we were in too much Sea to come to an Anchor. Sandy Soundings.
8 pm: Wore Ship. Lightning to the Westward.
9 pm: Ditto
10 pm: Ditto
11 pm: Ditto
12 mid: Ditto Fresh Breezes and Cloudy.
5 am: Hove too and out Boats. Sent them on board the Assistant to lead a head. At Sun rise we could see land of a Moderate height 8 Leagues in any direction, the lowest 4 or 5, & Mountainous 14 or 15 leagues
8 am: Fine Weather. Much Scum on the Water. Some Gulls about us. Saw a Heron and some Gannet Boobies.
11 am: Passing a Shoal seen from the Mast Head WNW to North 4 Miles distant.
12 noon: Cloudy Weather with bright intervals. Smooth Water. Assistant and Boats leading.
See nothing of the Land, I therefore conclude the Coast and Isles of New Holland are placed
a degree too far East and that I am 1°..24′ West of my Mountainous Island with a high
round Hill.
I had determined to Anchor this Evening, but the Wind and Sea made it totally improper, I therefore ordered Lieut. Portlock to Stretch to the Northward, and by making a little circuit, we acquired some knowledge of the space we wanted to occupy during the Night. We were not yet clear of Shoals, I therefore determined to Ware [wear] Ship every hour. The Night passed without accident or trouble, and at day break I sent the Boats away to lead a head of the Assistant.
We had a fine clear Sun rising, but could not discover either Land or Shoals. This gave me hopes that we should clear the Straits. Land of a moderate height might have been seen 8 Leagues distant, Mountainous Land, full 14 Leagues, and any low land four Leagues.
As we passed the appearance of a Shoal at 11 O'Clock in the NW, and the depth of Water lessening, I concluded it should be attended to, it was seen from the Mast Head only, and I immagine we passed it about 4 Miles distant.
We had frequently riplings of the Tide, and the Sea very much covered with the Spawn of Fish, a Scum of a brown colour, which gives very much the appearance of Shallow Water when first observed.
At Noon we were 4 Leagues to the Northward of the Westermost Shoal that Captain Cook Anchored near (to the NW of Booby Key,) and I suppose as far to the Westward of it.
Sep 19, 1792 Home Providence Log Sep 21, 1792