e in circuit, and we saw upon it five of the natives, two
of whom had lances in their hands; they came down upon a point, and
having looked a little while at the ship, retired. To the N.W. of it are
several low islands and quays, which lie not far from the main; and to
the northward and eastward are several other islands and shoals; so that
we were now encompassed on every side: But having lately been exposed to
much greater danger, and rocks and shoals being grown familiar, we
looked at them comparatively with little concern. The main land appeared
to be low and barren, interspersed with large patches of the very fine
white sand, which we had found upon Lizard Island and different parts of
the main. The boats had seen many turtle upon the shoals which they
passed, but it blew too hard for them to take any. At noon, our latitude
by observation was 12 deg., and our longitude 217 deg. 25': Our depth of water
was fourteen fathom; and our course and distance, reduced to a straight
line, was, between this time and the preceding noon, N. 29 W.
thirty-two miles.

The main land within the islands that have been just mentioned forms a
point, which I called _Cape Grenville_: It lies in latitude 11 deg. 58',
longitude 217 deg. 38'; and between it and Bolt Head is a bay, which I
called _Temple Bay_. At the distance of nine leagues from Cape
Grenville, in the direction of E. 1/2 N. lie some high islands, which I
called _Sir Charles Hardy's Isles_; and those which lie off the Cape I
called _Cockburn's Isles_. Having lain by for the boats, which had got
out of their station, till about one o'clock, we then took the yawl in
tow; and the pinnace having got ahead, we filled, and stood N. by W. for
some small islands which lay in that direction; such at least they were
in appearance, but upon approaching them we perceived that they were
joined together by a large reef: Upon this we edged away N.W. and left
them on our starboard hand; we steered between them and the islands that
lay off the main, having a clear passage, and from fifteen to
twenty-three fathom water. At four o'clock, we discovered some low
islands and rocks, bearing W.N.W., and stood directly for them: At half
an hour after six, we anchored on the north-east side of the northermost
of them, at one mile distance, and in sixteen fathom. These islands lie
N.W. four leagues from Cape Grenville, and from the number of birds that
I saw upon them, I called them _Bird Isles_. A litt