ified with an agreeable variety of Hills, Ridges, and Valleys, and
large plains all Cloathed with wood, which to all appearance is the same
as I have before mentioned, as we could discover no Visible alteration in
the Soil. Near the shore the land is in general low and Sandy, except the
points which are rocky, and over many of them are pretty high hills,
which at first rising out of the Water appear like a Island.

Tuesday, 15th. Fresh Gales at South-West, West-South-West, and
South-South-West. In the P.M. had some heavy Squalls, attended with rain
and hail, which obliged us to close reef our Topsails. Between 2 and 4 we
had some small rocky Islands* (* The Solitary Islands.) between us and
the land; the Southermost lies in the Latitude of 30 degrees 10 minutes,
the Northermost in 29 degrees 58 minutes, and about 2 Leagues or more
from the land; we sounded, and had 33 fathoms about 12 Miles without this
last island. At 8 we brought too until 10, at which time we made sail
under our Topsails. Having the Advantage of the Moon we steer'd along
shore North and North by East, keeping at the distance of about 3 Leagues
from the land having from 30 to 25 fathoms. As soon as it was daylight we
made all the sail we could, having the Advantage of a fresh Gale and fair
weather.* (* During the night the entrance of the Clarence River, now the
outlet for the produce of a large and rich agricultural district, was
passed, and in the morning that of the Richmond River, which serves a
similar purpose.) At 9, being about a League from the Land, we saw upon
it people and Smoke in Several places. At noon we were by observation in
the Latitude of 28 degrees 39 minutes South, and Longitude 206 degrees 27
minutes West; Course and distance saild since Yesterday at Noon North 6
degrees 45 minutes East, 104 Miles. A Tolerable high point of land bore
North-West by West, distant 3 Miles; this point I named Cape Byron* (*
Captain John Byron was one of Cook's predecessors in exploration in the
Pacific, having sailed round the World in H.M.S. Dolphin, in company with
the Tamar, in 1764 to 1766.) (Latitude 28 degrees 37 minutes 30 seconds
South, Longitude 206 degrees 30 minutes West). It may be known by a
remarkable sharp peaked Mountain lying in land North-West by West from
it. From this point the land Trends North 13 degrees West. Inland it is
pretty high and hilly, but near the Shore it is low; to the Southward of
the Point the land is low, and Toler