Aug 8, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Aug 10, 1792
Revised Sep 16 2021
1 pm: Fresh Breezes & Cloudy Weather Standing between the Island U and V at 50′ past 1 Saw Breakers to the Westward – hauled to the Wind – At 3 Bore away after the Assistant – At 4 Extremes of Island V N89°W to SEbS off shore 3 Miles. U from N3°E to N27°E 2 Leagues W N65 to N60°W 4 Leagues X N70°W to N77°W 7 Leagues Y N83°W 9 Leagues Mitre rock off U N33°E S N5° to N10°W 8 Leagues Three Canoes coming off from V but could not come up with us – At 6 [?] bore S17°W to East 3 or 4 [Miles] Land from Mast head seen bearing WSW – Spoke the Assistant – In 2nd Reefs
12 mid: Tacked Ship High land of V bearing NEbE½E
2 am: Tacked Ship the Signal for that Purpose being previously made and answered by Assistant as usual
4 am: Tacked Ship – V bearing ENE – At 5 Tacked again
6 am: At 6 Island V NE to N74°E 4 Leagues U NEbN 7 Leagues – A high long Island called Z which had been seen over Y at N80°W now bore about West 7 or 8 Leagues
8 am: At 8 Extremes of V from ENE to NE½N 6 or 7 Leagues X NbW¼W 7 or 8 Leagues Y N37°W to N45W 6 or 7 Leagues Z N68 to S9°W 5 or 6 Leagues An Island at the back Z shutt with the East End at N81° and N62W both which seem to join Y by intermediate low land and 4 Keys or Heads – A Cask of Spruce Beer broached – the People at Watch and Watch Night and Day since Sunday
12 noon: At Noon Fresh Breeze & Cloudy Weather Assistant ahead Island V NE½N 10 or 12 Leagues High South Cape of Z N65°W Coxcomb Hill N56°W low East Point N30°W 10 leagues No 1 Island N86°W to W 8 or 10 Leagues No 2 S10° to S30°W off which on the N side lay several rocky keys 4 of which are remarkable
The Island T was only once seen at a great Distance, it is nearly in Latitude [blank] and Longitude [blank] East
U at 10 AM August 8th Distant 5 Leagues
This is a fine Island of considerable Extent being near [blank] Miles in Circumference and inhabited as we saw several Smokes upon it. its Latitude is [blank] and Longitude [blank] East by the Lunar
V at 10 AM August 8th Distant 7 or 8 Leagues
This is the most beautiful Island we have yet seen we were near enough to distinguish a Village about half
way up the Hills surrounded with Cocoa nut trees with which the Island abounds and the Houses were built.
the Situation is romantic and truly delightful. the Island has all the Appearance of studied Cultivation
and every where we saw Marks of the Industry of its Inhabitants – We saw two large Peices of Cloth
fixed to Cocoa nut trees, but whether intended as a signal to us to us to go in or to alarm the Island
I cannot tell. the People in the Canoes laboured very hard to come up with us, relieving each other at
the Paddle, and one of them standing up with some thing in his Hand like a Spear waving to us to stop, but
the situation of the Ship surrounded with unknown rocks and Islands was too dangerous to admit of it. we did
all we could to encourage them, but the Ship stole from them and they put back, which we saw with great
regret – they had a Quantity of white Cloth round their Heads and some round the Waist but otherwise
I believe they were entirely naked – All Parts of the Island we saw were surrounded by a reef from
one to two Miles distant we saw a small Bay on the SW side where we fancied there was an Opening in the
reef but I am not certain – The North Part which is the highest Land will be in Latitude [blank] and
Longitude [blank] East – This was thought worth to be called Paradise Island.
Aug 8, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Aug 10, 1792