land between the South Weft and the South Capes is broken
and hilly, the coaft. winding, with points Ihooting out from
it; but we were too far off, to be able to judge whether the
bays formed by thefe points were ihelfered from the fea-
winds. The bay which appeared to be the largeft and
deepeft, lies to the Weftward of the peaked hill above-
mentioned. The variation of the compafs here, was 5° 15'
Eaft.
At fix o’clock in the afternoon we founded, and found fixty
fathoms water, over a bottom of broken coral and ihells.
The South Cape then bore North 75° Weft, two or three
leagues diftaht; Tafman’s Head North Eaftj and Swilly
Rock South by Weft ± Weft. About a league to the Eaft-
ward of Swilly, is another elevated rock, that is not taken
notice of by Captain Furneaux. I called it the Eddyftone,
from its very great refemblance to that light-houfe. Nature
feems to have left thefe two rocks here, for the fame pur-
pofe that the Eddyftone light-houfe was built by man, viz.
to give navigators notice of the dangers around them. For
they are the confpicuous fummirs of a ledge of rocks under
water, on which the fea, in many placCs, breaks very high.
Their furface is white with the dung of fea-fowls; fo that
they may be feen at fotne diftance, even in the .night. On
the North Eaft fide of Storm Bay, which lies between the
South Cape and Tafman’s Head, there are fome coves or
creeks, that feemed to be fheltered from the fea-winds ; and
1 am of opinion that, were this coaft examined, there would
be found fome good harbours.
Soon after we had fight of land the Wefterly winds left
us, and were fucceeded by variable light airs and alternate
calms, till the 26th at noon. At that time a breeze fprung
7 up
tip and freihened at South Eaft, which put it in my power 'lm- • , * lEDHsry»
to carry into execution the defign I had, upon due fconfidera- '----.— j
tion, formed, of carrying the fhips into Adventure Bay, where
I might expect to get a fupply o f wood and of grafs for the
cattle ; of both which articles we iliould, as I now found,
have been in great want, if I had waited till our arrival in
New Zealand. We therefore flood for the bay, and anchored
in it at four o’clock in th.e afternoon, in twelve fathoms
water, over a bottom of fand and o.ufe. Penguin
Ifland, which lies clofe to the Eaft point of the bay, bore
North 84° Eaft; the Southernmoft point o f Maria’s Iflands
bore North 7('■> 4 Eaft.; and Cape Frederic I Icnry, or the
Northpoint of the bay, bore North 3 30 Eaft. Our diftance
from the neareft ihore was about three quarters o f a mile.
As foon as we had anchored, I ordered the boats to be
hoifted out. In one of them I went myfelf, to look for the
moft commodious place for furniihing ouri'elves with the
neceffary fupplies; and Captain Clerke went in his boat
Upon the fame ferviee. Wood and water we found in
plenty, and in fituations convenient enough, efpecially the
firft. But grafs, of which we flood moft in need, was fcarce, •
and alfo very coarfe. Neceffity, however, obliged us to
take fuch as we could get.
Next morning early, I fent Lieutenant Ring to the Eaft Monday 27.
fide o f the bay with two parties; one to cut wood, and the
other to cut grafs, under the protection of the marines,
whom I judged it prudent to land as a guard. For although,
as yet, none of the'natives had appeared, there could be no
doubt that fome were in our neighbourhood, as we had
feen columns of fmoke, from the time of our approaching
the coaft; and fome now was obferved, at no great diftance
up