J O U R N A L
O F A
V O Y A G E tothe S O U T H S E A S ,
In his Majefty’s Ship The E N D E A V O U R .
P A R T III.
the 7ift, in the morning;, we weighed J 0 0 anchor, having a fine breeze
o ^rom ^ie coa^ ° f New Zealand, and fleered our courfe
toward New Holland, taking our departure from a point of land
!«Li!ROR£jHf near'Blind Bay, which point we named Cape Farewell. We had fine
weather and a fair wind till the 9th; then we faw one of the tropic birds, although
we were in latitude 38* 34/, thermometer 73. We were becalmed nine days, from
the 9th to the 17th, and then the wind blew from the S. S. W. and S. W. and we
had a broken fea that caufed the fhip to pitch and roll very much at the fame
time ; we fhipped a fea fore and aft, which deluged the decks, and had like to have
waihed feveral of us overboard : we were then in latitude 38° 46' and 22 degrees
weft of Cape Farewell, out of fight of land : fo that the land of Van Diemen, if not
an
an ¡¡land, mull have tended away abruptly tothe eaft, or we (hould have feen it before
this time. We continued our courfe, but nothing worthy of note occurred till
the 19th, in the morning, and then we difcovered the land of New Holland,
extending a great way to the fouth, and to the eaftward._ It is moderately high :
part of it appeared to be flat, and covered with fand ; but, the weather being
foggy, we had not a good view of it, We were obliged to fleer E. N. E. to
clear it; and faw three water fpouts, one of which continued very near a quarter
of an hour. Latitude 37° 51'.
On the 20th, we failed along Ihore with a fine brille breeze, but we fpund no
harbour. The land' appeared rather level, with here and there a gentle afcent
covered entirely with wood, fome of which appeared large. About noon we faw
fome fmoke afcending out of a wood near the fea fide. Latitude 36' 51'.
On the 21ft, we had fine clear weather, and a brilk gale: the coaft appeared
much the fame as it did the day‘ before, excepting that it was rather lower. In
the evening the land appeared very low and ftrait, ftretching away to the N.E.
and was Well covered with trees.- We faw fome clouds of fmoke rifing from them
a good way up the country, but we found no harbour. Latitude 35" 51'.
On the 22d, the coaft made a good view, being flat, level, and covered with
verdure. The hills within land w.ere remarkably flat : we difcovered five men
upon them, through our glafies, who were quite naked. It is probable they live
upon the palace of the earth, as-we did not fee any canoes, and the coaft feems
to be unfavourable for fifhing.. Latitude 35* 27'.
On the 25th, we were in latitude 34“ 22'. The weather was very fine, but we
were often becalmed. The land appeared ftill flat, remarkably' level, and ftrait
on the top. We faw feveral fires dong the coaft lit up one after another, which
might have been defigned as fignals to us.
On the 27th, in the morning, the wind being againft us, we flood off-and on
Ihore. At noon, being about One mile from land, fome of our men. were fènt
on Ihore in a boat, which foon returned, not being able to land - for the furf
which