tants. The deep gullies, which were worn by torrents from
the hills, prove that at certain seasons the rains here are very copious
and heavy.

The inlet in which the ship lay I called Thirsty Sound, because it
afforded us no fresh water. It lies in latitude 22 deg. 10' S. and longitude
210 deg. 18' W. and may be known by a group of small islands lying under the
shore, from two to five leagues distant, in the direction of N.W. and by
another group of islands that lie right before it, between three and
four leagues out at sea. Over each of the points that form the entrance
is a high round hill, which on the N.W. is a peninsula that at high
water is surrounded by the sea; they are bold to both the shores, and
the distance between them is about two miles. In this inlet is good
anchorage in seven, six, five, and four fathom; and places very
convenient for laying a ship down, where, at spring-tides, the water
does not rise less than sixteen or eighteen feet. The tide flows at the
full and change of the moon about 11 o'clock. I have already observed
that here is no fresh water, nor could we procure refreshment of any
other kind. We saw two turtles, but we were not able to take either of
them; neither did we catch either fish or wild-fowl, except a few small
land-birds: We saw indeed the same sorts of water-fowl as in Botany Bay,
but they were so shy that we could not get a shot at them.

As I had not therefore a single inducement to stay longer in this place,
I weighed anchor at six o'clock in the morning of Thursday the 31st of
May, and put to sea. We stood to the N.W. with a fresh breeze at S.S.E.
and kept without the group of islands that lie in shore, and to the N.W.
of Thirsty Sound, as there appeared to be no safe passage between them
and the main: At the same time we had a number of islands without us,
extending as far as we could see: During our run in this direction our
depth of water was ten, eight, and nine fathom. At noon, the west point
of Thirsty Sound, which I have called Pier Head, bore S. 36 E. distant
five leagues; the east point of the other inlet, which communicates with
the sound, bore S. by W. distant two leagues; the group of islands just
mentioned lay between us and the point, and the farthest part of the
main in sight, on the other side of the inlet, bore N.W. Our latitude by
observation was 21 deg. 53'. At half an hour after twelve, the boat, which
was sounding a-head, made the signal for shoal water,