st end;
but another reef came in sight, and for a time obliged us to steer W. by
S. At four o'clock we ran northward again, following the direction of the
reef on its lee side; and at six anchored in 27 fathoms, coarse sand, in
the following situation:

Latitude observed from the moon., 21 deg. 4' S.
Longitude from bearings, 150 19 E.
Nearest part of the reef, dist. 21/2 miles, E. 1/2 S.
A smaller reef, distant 3 miles, N. W. 1/2 N.
Percy Isles, Pine Peak of No. 3, S. 9 0 W.
Cumberland Island marked 'k', W. 6 0 N.

The reefs were not dry in any part, with the exception of some small
black lumps, which at a distance resembled the round heads of negroes;
the sea broke upon the edges, but within side the water was smooth, and
of a light green colour. A further description of these dangers is
unnecessary, since their forms and relative positions, so far as they
could be ascertained, will be best learned from the chart.

Until midnight, five hours after the moon had passed the meridian, a tide
came from S. by E., half a mile per hour. The ship then tended to the N.
E. by E.; and this tide, whose rate was one mile, appearing to be the
flood, led me to suppose there might be an open sea in that direction. In
the morning [WEDNESDAY 6 OCTOBER 1802], I sent a boat to lieutenant
Murray with instructions for his guidance in case of separation; and
appointed him Murray's Islands in Torres' Strait, discovered by captain
Edwards in 1791, for the first rendezvous; cautioning him to be strictly
on his guard against the treachery of the natives.

We weighed at seven o'clock, and steered N. N. E., close to the wind; at
ten, reefs came in sight, extending from W. by N., to N. by E. 1/2 E.,
which we weathered one mile, having 35 fathoms water. Our situation at
noon was in latitude 20 deg. 45' 40", from observations to the north and
south, and the longitude by time keeper 150 deg. 28'; the east end of the
great reef to leeward bore S. W. 1/2 W. two miles, and it extended in
patches to N. 16 deg. W., where, at the distance of two leagues, was either a
dry white sand or high breakers but which could not be discerned from the
reflection of the sun. Nothing was seen to the north-east, and we now lay
up in that direction; but at one o'clock there was a small reef bearing
N. 1/2 E.; and at three, a larger one extended from N. by W. 1/2 W. to E. N.
E., and on the outside of it we