s we brought too to Wait for the Yawl, and called
the other Boats on board, and after giving them proper instructions, sent
them away again to lead us thro' the Channell next the Main, and as soon
as the Yawl was on board made sail after them with the Ship. Soon after
we discover'd rocks and Shoals in this Channell, upon which I made the
Signal for the boats to lead thro' the next Channel to the Northward* (*
This led to Endeavour Strait, but the recognised track is the channel
farther north.) laying between the Islands, which they accordingly did,
we following with the Ship, and had not less than 5 fathoms; and this in
the narrowest part of the Channel, which was about a Mile and a 1/2 broad
from Island to Island. At 4 o'Clock we Anchor'd about a Mile and a 1/2 or
2 Miles within the Entrance in 6 1/2 fathoms, clear ground, distance from
the Islands on each side of us one Mile, the Main land extending away to
the South-West; the farthest point of which we could see bore from us
South 48 degrees West, and the Southermost point of the Islands, on the
North-West side of the Passage, bore South 76 degrees West. Between these
2 points we could see no land, so that we were in great hopes that we had
at last found out a Passage into the Indian seas; but in order to be
better informed I landed with a party of men, accompanied by Mr. Banks
and Dr. Solander, upon the Islands which lies at the South-East point of
the Passage. Before and after we Anchor'd we saw a Number of People upon
this Island, Arm'd in the same manner as all the others we have seen,
Except one man, who had a bow and a bundle of Arrows, the first we have
seen upon this Coast. From the appearance of the people we expected they
would have opposed our landing; but as we approached the shore they all
made off, and left us in peaceable possession of as much of the Island as
served our purpose. After landing I went upon the highest hill, which,
however, was of no great height, yet no less than twice or thrice the
height of the Ship's Mastheads; but I could see from it no land between
South-West and West-South-West, so that I did not doubt but there was a
passage. I could see plainly that the lands laying to the North-West of
this passage were compos'd of a number of Islands of Various extent, both
for height and Circuit, ranged one behind another as far to the Northward
and Westward as I could see, which could not be less than 12 or 14
Leagues.

Having satisfied mysel