t^iem nor any other bird except a few of the beauti-
1----»----i ful loriquets which we had feen in Botany Bay. Mr. Gore,
and one of the midfliipmen, who were in different places,
faid that they had heard the voices of Indians near them,
but had feen none: the country in general appeared fandy
and barren, and being deftitUte of frefh water, it cannot be
fuppofed to have any fettled inhabitants. The deep gullies,
which were worn by torrents from the hills, prove, that at
certain feafons the rains here are very copious and heavy.
The inlet in which the fhip lay I called T h i ;r s t y S o u n d ,
becaufe it afforded us no frefh Water. It lies in latitude
22° io'S. and longitude 2100 18'W. ; and may be known by
a group o f fmall iflands lying under the fhore, from two to
five leagues diflant, in the direction of N. W. and by another
group of iflands that lie right before it, between three and
four leagues out at fea. Over each of the points that form
the entrance is a high round hill, which on the N. W. is a
peninfula that at high-water is furrounded by the fea: they
are bold to both the fhores, and the diftance between them
is about two miles. In this inlet is good anchorage in feven,
fix, five, and four fathom ; and places very convenient for
laying a fhip down, where, at fpring-tides, the water does
not rife lefs than fixteen or eighteen feet. The tide flows at
the full and change o f the moon about eleven o’clock. I
have already obferved that here is no frefh water, nor could
we procure refrefbment of any other kind: we faw two turtles,
but we were not able to take either of them : neither did we
catch either fifh or wild-fowl, except a few fmall land-birds:
we faw indeed the fame forts of water-fowl as in Botany Bay,
but they were fo fhy that we could not get a fhot at them.
Tiurfdayji. As I had not therefore a Angle inducement to flay longer
in this place, I weighed anchor at fix o’clock in the morn-
'ing
ing of Thurfday the-31 ft of May,- and put tofiea. We flood
to the N; W:. with.a frefh breeze at Si S. E. and .kept without
the group.of .iflands hthab lie in fhorej and to the N. W. of
Thirfly Sound, as there appeared to be no fafe paffage between
them and'the main: at the fame time we had a number
of iflands .without us,- extending, as far as we could fee :
during our run in this direiflion Our depth of water was ten,
eight, and nine fathom. At noon, the weft point of Thirfly
Sound, which I have.called Piek. He ad, bore S. 36 E, diflant
five leagues; the eaft point of the other inlet, which communicates
with the Sound, bore S. by.W. diflant two leagues;
the group of'iflands juft mentioned lay between us and the
point, and the fartheft part of the main in fight, on the
other fide of the inlet, bore N. W.: Our latitude by obferva-
tion was .21° .53'. At half an hour: after twelve,. the boat,
which was founding ahead; made the fignal for fhoal water,
and we immediately hauled ;our wind to the N. E. At this
time we had feven fathom, at the next call five, and at the
next three, upon which we inftantly dropped an anchor, that
brought:the fhip up.; Pier Head,.the north weft point of
Thirfly Sound, bore S, E, diflant fix leagues, being half-way
between the iflands which lie;pff the eaft point of the weft-
ern inlet, and three fmall iflands which lie direftly without
them. It was now the firft of the flood, which we found to
fet N. W. by W. i-W.; and having founded about the fhoal,
upon which we had three fathom, and found deep water all
round it, we got under fail, and having hauled round the
three iflands that have been juft mentioned, came to an anchor
under the lee of them, in fifteen fathom water; and
the weather being dark,, hazy, and rainy, we remained there
till feven o’clock in the morning. At this time we got again
under fail, and. flood to the N. W. with a frefh breeze at
•S. S. E.; having the main land in fight, and a number of
. Vql. III. R iflands
177°.
May', L_------- -
Thurfday 51-i
FridJauyn e. 1 .