e midnight; and the breeze being
fresh at W. by S., the Lady Nelson was left astern, and we lay to for an
hour next morning [FRIDAY 23 JULY 1802], to wait her coming up. The land
was then scarcely visible, but a north course brought us in with the
Three Brothers (Atlas Plate IX.); and at four in the afternoon, they bore
from S. 56 deg. to 65 deg. W., the nearest land being a low, but steep point,
distant four or five miles in the first direction. The Three Brothers lie
from one to five miles behind the shore, at the eastern extremity of a
range of high land, coming out of the interior country. The northernmost
hill is the broadest, most elevated, and nearest to the water side; and
being visible fifty miles from a ship's deck, is an excellent landmark
for vessels passing along the coast: its latitude is 31 deg. 43' south, and
longitude 152 deg. 45' east.

To the northward of the Three Brothers there is four leagues of low. and
mostly sandy shore; and after passing it, we came up with a projection,
whose top is composed of small, irregular-shaped hummocks, the
northernmost of them being a rocky lump of a sugar-loaf form; further on,
the land falls back into a shallow bight, with rocks in it standing above
water. When abreast of the projection, which was called _Tacking Point_,
the night was closing in, and we stood off shore, intending to make the
same part next morning; for some of this coast had been passed in the
dark by captain Cook, and might therefore contain openings.

SATURDAY 24 JULY 1802

At daybreak of the 24th, Tacking Point was distant three miles, and the
breeze fresh at S. W. by W. with fine weather. Our little consort being
out of sight, we stood an hour to the southward; and not seeing her in
that direction, bore away along the coast until noon, when our situation
was as under:

Latitude observed 30 deg. 581/4'
Longitude by time-keepers 153 61/2
Northern Brother, dist. 48 miles, bore S. 23 W.
Smoky Cape, distant 3 or 4 miles, N. 41 deg. to 30 W.
Northern extreme of the land, N. 5 W.

The coast from Tacking Point to Smoky Cape is generally low and sandy;
but its uniformity is broken at intervals by rocky points, which first
appear like islands. Behind them the land is low, but quickly rises to
hills of a moderate height; and these being well covered with wood, the
country had a pleasant appearance. Smoky Cape was found to answer the
descr