Tuesday, 5th June, 1770
Winds between the south and east, a gentle breeze, and serene weather. At 6 a.m., we were abreast of the western point of land above mentioned, distant from it 3 miles, which I have named Cape Upstart, because being surrounded with low land it starts or rises up singly at the first making of it (latitude 19 degrees 39 minutes South, longitude 212 degrees 32 minutes West); it lies West-North-West 14 leagues from Cape Gloucester, and is of a height sufficient to be seen 12 leagues; but it is not so much of a promontory as it appears to be, because on each side of it near the sea is very low land, which is not to be seen unless you are pretty well in with the shore. Inland are some tolerable high hills or mountains, which, like the cape, affords but a very barren prospect. Having passed this cape, we continued standing to the West-North-West as the land lay, under an easy sail, having from 16 to 10 fathoms, until 2 o’clock a.m., when we fell into 7 fathoms, upon which we hauled our wind to the northward, judging ourselves to be very near the land; as so we found, for at daylight we were little more than 2 leagues off. What deceived us was the lowness of the land, which is but very little higher than the surface of the sea, but in the country were some hills. At noon, we were in 15 fathoms water, and about 4 leagues from the land. Our latitude by observation was 19 degrees 12 minutes South; Cape Upstart bore 38 degrees 30 minutes East, distant 12 leagues. Course and distance sailed since yesterday noon North 48 degrees 45 minutes, 53 miles. At and before noon some very large smokes were seen rise up out of the low land. At sunrise, I found the variation to be 5 degrees 35 minutes easterly; at sunset last night, the same needle gave near 9 degrees. This being close under Cape Upstart, I judged that it was owing to iron ore or other magnetical matter lodged in the earth.
Wednesday, 6th June, 1770
Light airs at East-South-East, with which we steered West-North-West as the land now lay; depth of water 12 and 14 fathoms. At noon we were by observation in the latitude of 19 degrees 1 minute South, longitude made from Cape Gloucester 1 degree 30 minutes West; course and distance sailed since yesterday noon West-North-West, 28 miles. In this situation, we had the mouth of a bay all open extending from South 1/2 East to South-West 1/2 South, distance 2 leagues. This bay, which I named Cleveland Bay, appeared to be about 5 or 6 miles in extent every way. The east point I named Cape Cleveland, and the west, Magnetical Head or Island, as it had much the appearance of an island; and the compass did not traverse well when near it. They are both tolerable high, and so is the mainland within them, and the whole appeared to have the most rugged, rocky, and barren surface of any we have yet seen. However, it is not without inhabitants, as we saw smoke in several places in the bottom of the bay. The northernmost land we had in sight at this time bore North-West; this we took to be an island or islands, for we could not trace the mainland farther than West by North.
Thursday, 7th June, 1770
Light airs between the South and East, with which we steered West-North-West, keeping the mainland on board, the outermost part of which at sunset bore from us West by North; but without this lay highland, which we took to be islands. At daylight A.M., we were the length of the eastern part of this land, which we found to consist of a group of islands laying about 5 leagues from the main. We being at this time between the two, we continued advancing slowly to the North-West until noon, at which time we were by observation in the latitude of 18 degrees 49 minutes, and about 5 leagues from the mainland, the north-west part of which bore from us North by West 1/2 West, the island extending from North to East; distance of the nearest 2 miles. Cape Cleveland bore South 50 degrees East, distant 18 leagues. Our soundings in the course of this day’s sail were from 14 to 11 fathoms.
Friday, 8th June, 1770
Winds at South-South-East and South; first part light airs, the remainder a gentle breeze. In the P.M. we saw several large smokes upon the main, some people, canoes, and, as we thought, cocoa nut trees upon one of the islands; and, as a few of these nuts would have been very acceptable to us at this time, I sent Lieutenant Hicks ashore, with whom went Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, to see what was to be got. In the meantime, we kept standing in for the island with the ship. At 7 they returned on board, having met with nothing worth observing. The trees we saw were a small kind of cabbage palms. They heard some of the natives as they were putting off from the shore but saw none. After the boat was hoisted in, we stood away north by west for the northernmost land we had in sight, which we were abreast of at 3 o’clock in the morning, having passed all the islands 3 or 4 hours before. This point I have named Point Hillock, on account of its figure. The land of this point is tolerable high and may be known by a round hillock or rock that appears to be detached from the point, but I believe it joins to it. Between this cape and Cape Cleveland, the shore forms a large bay, which I named Halifax Bay; before it lay the groups of islands before mentioned, and some others nearer the shore. These islands shelter the bay in a manner from all winds, in which is good anchorage. The land near the shore in the bottom of the bay is very low and woody; but a little way back in the country is a continued ridge of high land, which appeared to be barren and rocky. Having passed Point Hillock, we continued standing to the North-North-West as the land trended, having the advantage of a light moon. At 6 a.m. we were abreast of a point of land which lies North by West 1/2 West, 11 miles from Point Hillock; the land between them is very high, and of a craggy, barren surface. This point I named Cape Sandwich; it may not only be known by the high, craggy land over it, but by a small island which lies east one mile from it, and some others about 2 leagues to the northward of it. From Cape Sandwich, the land trends west, and afterwards north, and forms a fine, large bay, which I called Rockingham Bay; it is well sheltered, and affords good anchorage; at least, so it appeared to me, for having met with so little encouragement by going ashore, I would not wait to land or examine it further, but continued to range along shore to the northward for a parcel of small islands laying off the northern point of the bay, and, finding a channel of a mile broad between the 3 outermost and those nearer the shore, we pushed through. While we did this, we saw on one of the nearest islands a number of the natives collected together, who seemed to look very attentively upon the ship; they were quite naked, and of a very dark colour, with short hair. At noon we were by observation in the latitude of 17 degrees 59 minutes, and abreast of the north point of Rockingham Bay, which bore from us west 2 miles. This boundary of the bay is formed by a tolerable high island, known in the chart by the name of Dunk Isle; it lays so near the shore as not to be distinguished from it unless you are well in with the land. At this time we were in the longitude of 213 degrees 57 minutes. Cape Sandwich bore South by East 1/2 East, distant 19 miles, and the northernmost land in sight North 1/2 West. Our depth of water in the course of this day’s sail was not more than 16, nor less than 7, fathoms.
Saturday, 9th June, 1770
Winds between the south and south-east, a gentle breeze, and clear weather, with which we steered North by West as the land lay, the northern extremity of which at sunset bore North 25 degrees West. We kept on our course under an easy sail all night, having from 12 to 16 fathoms, at the distance of about 3 or 4 leagues from the land. At 6 a.m. we were abreast of some small islands, which we called Frankland Isles, that lay about 2 leagues from the mainland, the northern point of which in sight bore North by West 1/2 West; but this we afterwards found to be an island, tolerable high, and about 4 miles in circuit. It lies about 2 miles from the point on the main between which we went with the ship, and were in the middle of the channel at noon, and by observation in the latitude of 16 degrees 55 minutes, where we had 20 fathoms of water. The point of land we were now abreast of I called Cape Grafton (latitude 16 degrees 55 minutes South, longitude 214 degrees 11 minutes West); it is tolerable high, and so is the whole coast for 20 leagues to the southward, and has a very rocky surface, which is thinly covered with wood. In the night, we saw several fires along shore, and a little before noon some people.
Sunday, 10th June, 1770
After hauling round Cape Grafton, we found the land trend away North-West by West; 3 miles to the westward of the cape is a bay, wherein we anchored, about 2 miles from the shore, in 4 fathoms, oozy bottom. The east point of the bay bore South 74 degrees East, the west point South 83 degrees West, and a low green woody island laying in the offing bore North 35 degrees East. The island lies North by East 1/2 East, distant 3 or 4 leagues from Cape Grafton, and is known in the chart by the name of Green Island. As soon as the ship was brought to an anchor, I went ashore, accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander; the first thing I did was to look for fresh water, and with that view rowed out towards the cape, because in the bottom of the bay was low mangrove land, and little probability of meeting with any there. But the way I went, I found 2 small streams, which were difficult to get at on account of the surf and rocks upon the shore. As we came round the cape, we saw, in a sandy cove, a small stream of water running over the beach; but here I did not go in the boat because I found that it would not be easy to land. We hardly advanced anything into the country, it being here hilly, which were steep and rocky, and we had not time to visit the low lands, and therefore met with nothing remarkable. My intention was to have stayed here at least one day, to have looked into the country had we met with fresh water convenient, or any other refreshment; but as we did not, I thought it would be only spending time, and losing as much of a light moon to little purpose, and therefore at 12 o’clock at night, we weighed and stood away to the North-West, having at this time but little wind, attended with showers of rain. At 4 the breeze freshened at South by East, with fair weather; we continued steering North-North-West 1/2 West as the land lay, having 10, 12, and 14 fathoms, at a distance of 3 leagues from the land. At 11 we hauled off north, in order to get without a small low island which lay about 2 leagues from the main; it being about high water, about the time we passed it, great part of it lay under water. About 3 leagues to the north-westward of this island, close under the mainland, is another island, tolerable high, which bore from us at noon North 55 degrees West, distant 7 or 8 miles; we being at this time in the latitude of 16 degrees 20 minutes South, Cape Grafton bore South 29 degrees East, distant 40 miles, and the northernmost point of land in sight North 20 degrees West, and in this situation had 15 fathoms water. The shore between Cape Grafton and the above northern point forms a large but not very deep bay, which I named Trinity Bay, after the day on which it was discovered; the north point Cape Tribulation, because here began all our troubles. Latitude 16 degrees 6 minutes South, longitude 214 degrees 39 minutes West.