to N. 10 E., and a small island, which was just in sight, bore N.W. 1/2
W. Here we found the flood-tide set to the westward, and the ebb to the
eastward.

After we had come to an anchor, I sent away the master in the long-boat
to sound, who, upon his return in the evening, reported that there was a
bank stretching north, and south, upon which there were but three
fathom, and that beyond it there were seven. About this time it fell
calm, and continued so till nine the next morning, when we weighed with
a light breeze at S.S.E.; and steered N.W. by W. for the small island
which was just in sight, having first sent the boats a-head to sound:
The depth of water was eight, seven, six, five, and four fathom, and
three fathom upon the bank, it being now the last quarter ebb. At this
time, the northermost island in sight bore N. 9 E., Cape Cornwall E.,
distant three leagues, and Wallis's Isles S. 3 E., distant three
leagues. This bank, at least so much as we have sounded, extends nearly
N. and S., but to what distance I do not know: Its breadth is not more
than half a mile at the utmost. When we had got over the bank, we
deepened our water to six fathom three quarters, and had the same depth
all the way to the small island a-head, which we reached by noon, when
it bore S., distant about half a mile. Our depth of water was now five
fathom, and the northermost land in sight, which is part of the same
chain of islands that we had seen to the northward from the time of our
first entering the streight, bore N. 71 E. Our latitude by observation
was 10 deg. 33' S., and our longitude 219 deg. 22' W.: In this situation no part
of the main was in sight. As we were now near the island, and had but
little wind, Mr Banks and I landed upon it, and found it, except a few
patches of wood, to be a barren rock, the haunt of birds, which had
frequented it in such numbers as to make the surface almost uniformly
white with their dung: Of these birds the greater part seemed to be
boobies, and I therefore called the place _Booby Island_. After a short
stay, we returned to the ship, and in the mean time the wind had got to
the S.W.; it was but a gentle breeze, yet it was accompanied by a swell
from the same quarter, which, with other circumstances, confirmed my
opinion that we were got to the westward of Carpentaria, or the northern
extremity of New Holland, and had now an open sea to the westward, which
gave me great satisfaction, not only because t