r Account of the
Country, its Inhabitants; and Productions_.

At day-break, on Sunday the 6th of May 1770, we set sail from Botany
Bay, with a light breeze at N.W. which soon after coming to the
southward, we steered along the shore N.N.E.; and at noon, our latitude,
by observation, was 33 deg. 50' S. At this time we were between two and
three miles distant from the land, and a-breast of a bay, or harbour, in
which there appeared to be good anchorage, and which I called _Port
Jackson_. This harbour lies three leagues to the northward of Botany
Bay: The variation, by several azimuths, appeared to be 8 deg. E. At
sun-set, the northermost land in sight bore N. 26 E. and some broken
land, that seemed to form a bay, bore N. 40 W. distant four leagues.
This bay, which lies in latitude 33 deg. 42' I called _Broken Bay_. We
steered along the shore N.N.E. all night, at the distance of about three
leagues from the land, having from thirty-two to thirty-six fathom
water, with a hard sandy bottom.

Soon after sun-rise on the 7th, I took several azimuths, with four
needles belonging to the azimuth compass, the mean result of which gave
the variation 7 deg. 56' E. At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 33 deg.
22' S.: We were about three leagues from the shore; the northermost land
in sight bore N. 19 E. and some lands which projected in three bluff
points, and which, for that reason; I called _Cape Three Points_, bore
S.W. distant five leagues. Our longitude from Botany Bay was 19' E. In
the afternoon, we saw smoke in several places upon the shore, and in the
evening, found the variation to be 8 deg. 25' E. At this time we were
between two and three miles from the shore, in twenty-eight fathom; and
at noon the next day, we had not advanced one step to the northward. We
stood off shore, with the winds northerly, till twelve at night, and at
the distance of about five leagues, had seventy fathom; at the distance
of six leagues we had eighty fathom, which is the extent of the
soundings; for at the distance of ten leagues, we had no ground with 150
fathom.

The wind continuing northerly, till the morning of the 10th, we
continued to stand in and off the shore, with very little change of
situation in other respects; but a gale then springing up at S.W. we
made the best of our way along the shore to the northward. At sun-rise,
our latitude was 33 deg. 2' S. and the variation 8 deg. E. At nine in the
forenoon, we passed a remarkab