ithal heavy--hove the lead
and found only 10 fathoms water...Astonished at this, I hauled our wind
and called out to them at the masthead to know if they saw any danger,
but none was seen. I bore away and deepened into 11 fathoms when Mr.
Bowen called out "Rocks ahead," immediately hauled our wind and stood
off...going often to the masthead I saw that the reef did nearly stretch
across the whole way, but inside saw a sheet of smooth water of great
extent. From the wind blowing dead on this shore, I was obliged to haul
off to clear the land, but with a determination to overhaul it as no
doubt it has a channel into it and is apparently a fine harbour of large
extent. Kept pressing sail and by 8 P.M. the extremes of land bore from
north-west to west distance 20 miles...the wind blew about as much as our
vessel likes and I am convinced that no vessel would have done more--I
wish I could say as much for her in light winds...At daylight the haze
over the land at east, and east-north-east with a heavy sea. I did not
like to bear down on a lee shore and so kept our wind stretching for the
westernmost side of the bay...no part of this bay as yet has been
surveyed owing to the sea, wind and the before-mentioned numerous fires
of the natives, but as our courses and distance were all with a free wind
till we hauled off...there will be no great mistake found in that part of
this bay laid down. Till 8 P.M. from our run from Western Port the soil
of all the land from abreast of Elizabeth's Cove to Cape Shanks is
excellent; after you round Cape Shanks and stand to west the land is
invariably low and sandy with little hummocks here and there of grass and
small bushes till you get down as far as this supposed harbour; on the
opposite side the land gently rises a little for about 10 or 12 miles,
seemingly good ground, it then sweeps away in a long bight of low land
which we could just perceive at sundown...At noon saw the distant
appearance of land on our larboard beam and from latitude observed 38
degrees 48 minutes 14 seconds, I take it to be somewhere near about Cape
Shanks; bore away for Cape Albany Otway. Altitudes for Time-keeper one
giving Longitude 144 degrees 35 minutes 00 seconds and the second
Longitude 144 degrees 35 minutes 45 seconds east. All these 24 hours
sound ground from 45 to 33 fathoms. Sand mixed with shells and brown
specks.

"Wednesday, 6th January. Kept running for Cape Albany and by 7 P.M.
having nearly run into