Jun. 3, 1789
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Logbook Remarks GM
Jun. 5, 1789
Revised May 23 2021
1:00 pm Fair Weather. Dined on 6 oysters each person 1/24 pound Bread & a Jill of water.
2:00 pm At 2 Came into shoal water and saw sand banks lying to the north'd of the West part of the main.
4:00 pm The Westmost Isle North 4 leagues. A Key West Extremes of the land from Wednesday Isle EBN 5 to SEBE 2 leagues shoal Cape.
5:00 pm At ½ past 5 at Booby Key a barren Rock.
The Main bore ESE to EBN.
Served water for Supper.
I steered different courses between Noon and 4 oClock, but I have only inserted
a mean one computed by my bearings.
10:00 pm Fresh Gale.
I consider Booby Key to be the same as seen by Captain Cook when he quitted
the Coast.
6:00 am A cross going sea. Deep water. Very wet and bailing Served 1/24 pound Bread and a Jill of water for Breakfast.
12:00 pm Fresh Breezes and fair Weather dined on 6 oysters each person 1/24 pound of Bread and 2 Jills of water.
At 2 o'Clock as I was steering to the SW towards the westermost part of the South shore, I fell into shoal water occasioned by some large Land Banks that lie there connected with the Coast. I was therefore obliged to steer to the Northward again, and having got round them I directed my course to the West. At 4 oClock the westermost Isle bore North 4 leagues. Wednesday Island EBN 5 leagues and shoal Cape SEBE 2 leagues. A small Key was now seen bearing West, at which I arrived by dusk of the Evening, and found it a meer Rock, a place where Boobies resort to, and for this reason called it Booby Key. A small Key also lies close to the West part of the Coast, which I have called Shoal Cape. Here terminated the Rocks and Shoals of the North part of New Holland, for I could see no land to the Westward of south after 3 o'Clock. I am positive that Booby Key was seen by Captain Cook, but I cannot reconcile to myself the situation of any other part I have seen to any Idea of his survey of the Coast unless Shoal Cape is his point possession [position].
At 8 oClock in the Evening I was once again launched into the midst of an open Ocean miserable as we were in every respect. On reflection I was surprized to see it did not appear to effect any one as a melancholy matter of necessity; on the contrary it seemed as if every one had only embarked with me to proceed to Timor, and were in a Vessel equally calculated for their Safety and convenience. So much confidence gave me great pleasure, & I may assert that owing to it we may attribute their being so well as they are, for whoever had despaired would have been dead before I got to New Holland. I now gave every one hopes that eight or ten days might restore us to a land of Safety, and after praying to God for a continuance of his most gracious protection I served an allowance of water for supper and kept my course to the WSW to counteract a Gale from the Southward in case it should Overblow.
I have been just six days on the Coast of New Holland, in the course of which it is to be observed oysters with a few clams have been the only supply we met with besides water. Indeed it was all I could expect, but equal to this perhaps we have benefited by having no fatigue in the Boat and good rest at Night. With these advantages every one has certainly prolonged his life, and poor as the supply has been I am very sensible of the great good it has done, and has releived my mind from many a distressing thought. It would have been about this time that human nature would have no longer been able to defend itself against hunger and extreme fatigues, several would have given up struggling with life that only insured wretchedness and misery, and those possessed of more bodily strength would on such a Sight soon have followed their miserable and unfortunate companions. Even in our present situation we are reduced being horrible to behold. Yet while any fortitude and Spirit remain we drag on, and I hope that the Idea of the End of our misery being so near at hand will yet enable me to land every one safe at Timor.
For my own part wonderfull is it for me to relate, I feel no extreme hunger or thirst. My allowance satisfies me knowing I can have no more. This perhaps does not admitt me to be proper judge on a story of miserable people like us being at last drove to the necessity of destroying one another for food, but if I may be allowed, I deny the fact in its greatest extent. I say I do not beleive that among us such a thing could happen, but death through famine would be received as from any violent disease.
Served 6 oysters and 1/24 pound Bread for dinner.
Jun. 3, 1789
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Logbook Remarks GM
Jun. 5, 1789