th, in two days; Green Cape bore N. by E. four leagues, and Cape Howe
S. by W. five or six miles. Captain Cook lays down the last in 37 deg. 26',
in his chart; but the above observation places it in 37 deg. 301/2', which I
afterwards found to agree with an observation of Mr. Bass, taken on the
west side of the cape. The shore abreast of the schooner was between one
and two miles distant; it was mostly beach, lying at the feet of sandy
hillocks which extend from behind Green Cape to the pitch of Cape Howe.
There were several fires upon the shore; and near one of them, upon an
eminence, stood seven natives, silently contemplating the schooner as she
passed.

On coming abreast of Cape Howe, the wind chopped round to the south-west,
and the dark clouds which settled over the land concealed it from our
view; we observed, however, that it trended to the west, but sought in
vain for the small island mentioned by captain Cook as lying close off
the Cape.*

[* Hawkesworth, Vol. III. p. 80. Mr. Bass sailed close round the cape in
his whale boat, but did not ace any island lying there.]

Our latitude was 38 deg. 30' next day, or 38' south of account, although the
wind had been. and was still from that direction. Mr. Reed then steered
W. by N., to get in again with the coast; and on the following noon, we
were in 38 deg. 16' and, by account, 22' of longitude to the west of Point
Hicks. The schooner was kept more northward in the afternoon; at four
o'clock a moderately high, sloping hill was visible in the N. by W., and
at seven a small rocky point on the beach bore N. 50 deg. W. three or four
leagues. The shore extended E. N. E. and W. S. W., and was low and sandy
in front; but at some miles distance inland, there was a range of hills
with wood upon them, though scarcely sufficient to hide their sandy
surface.

At five in the morning of the 7th, the rocky point bore N. E. 1/2 N. six or
seven miles, and the furthest visible part of the beach W. 1/2 S. The
southern wind had died away in the night; and a breeze springing up at N.
E. by E., we steered before it along the same low, sandy shore as seen in
the evening. The hills which arose at three or four leagues behind the
beach, appeared to retire further back as we advanced westward; they
would, however, be visible to a ship in fine weather, long before the
front land could be seen.

The observed latitude at noon was 38 deg. 17' south, and by two sets of
distances of the sun eas