W., was called Cape Rodney and another cape in Latitude 9 deg. 58' S. and
Longitude 212 deg. 37' W. was called Cape Hood, and an island lying between
them was called Mount Clarence. After passing Cape Hood the land appears
lower and to branch off about N.N.W. and to form a deep and wide bay, or
perhaps a passage through, for we saw no other land, and there are doubts
whether it joins New Guinea or not.[69-2]

I pursued my course to the Westward between the Latitudes of 10 deg. and 9 deg.
33' S. keeping the mouth of Endeavour Straits open, by which I hoped to
avoid the difficulties and dangers experienced by Captain Cook in his
passage through the reef in a higher latitude, and also the difficulties
he met with when within in his run from thence to the Strait's
mouth.[70-1]

On the 25th August at 9 in the morning, saw breakers from the mast head
bearing from us W. by S. to W.N.W. I hauled up to the Southward and
passed to the Eastward of them. It runs in the direction of W.S.W. and
E.N.E. 4' or 5', and another side runs in the direction of N.W. the
distance unknown. The sea broke very moderately upon it, in some places
barely perceptibly. In the interior part a very small sand-bank was seen
from the mast-head, and no other part of the reef was above water. It
obtained the name of Look-Out shoal.[70-2]

Before noon we saw more breakers which proved to be one of those
half-formed islands enclosing a lagoon, the reef of which was composed
principally of very large stones, but a sandbank was seen from the mast
head extending to the Southward of it, and as I could not weather it and
seeing another opening to the Westward, I steered to the W.S.W., and a
little before two o'clock saw the island to the Westward of us, and
another reef bearing about S.W. by South and I then steered W. 1/2 N. until
half past five, when a reef was seen extending from the island a
considerable way to the N.W., the island bearing then about W.S.W. I
immediately hauled upon the wind in order to pass to the Southward of it,
and seeing a passage to the Northward obstructed[71-1] I stood on and
off, and was still during the night, and in the morning bore away; but as
we drew near we also saw a reef extending to the Southward from the South
end of the island. I ran to the Southward along the reef with the
intention and expectation of getting round it, and the whole day was
spent without succeeding in my purpose and without seeing the end of the
reef, or