Sep 27, 1792 Home Providence Log Sep 29, 1792
Revised Aug 27 2021
1 pm: Fresh Breezes and fair Weather with Haze
4 pm: Saw Boobies and Flying Fish.
5 pm: Worked the Pumps as usual.
7 pm: In Studding Sails and 1st. Reefs, Sounded 40 fathoms light coloured Sand. Hailed the Assistant to steer NW to clear this bank which must lie off the Coast of New Holland.
10 pm: Soundings as before. Lead constantly going with 25 fathoms and 30 up and down and no bottom.
12 mid: Hove to again and found 54 fathoms bottom as before.
4 am: Hove to and Sounded bottom as before.
5 am: Saw many Sea Fowl and Flying Fish.
6 am: Hove to but could get no bottom at 107 fathoms of line. Steered more off.
8 am: Washed and cleaned Ship. Employed working up Junk. Carpenters repairing the large Cutter.
9 am: Served Portable Soup in the Pease for Dinner. Hot breakfast as usual.
12 noon: Moderate and fair Weather but very Hazy. Hove to but could get no Ground at
107 fathoms line. Made Sail. Assistant in Company.
Gannet Boobies, Tropic Birds and Flying Fish.
I was exceedingly surprised to find Soundings at 40 fathoms at 8 O'Clock in the Evening for from appearances and my latitude, I thought no bottom would be found. It appears likely, that since Midnight of the 27th when we had 71 fathoms we have continued to shoalen, and that this bank lies off the North part of New Holland, the situation of it being farther North and West than any of our information has hitherto led us to believe.
I Steered NW to deepen the Water, which took place as I expected, and an hour and half after we had 64 fathoms, no ground at 107 fathoms. The Bank must be very Steep. I now Steered more away and at Noon being not able to find bottom, I steered WSW for the South side of Timor and to make the land below the latitude of 10 Degrees South.
Sep 27, 1792 Home Providence Log Sep 29, 1792