Friday, 1st June, 1770
At half an hour after noon, upon the boat ahead making the signal for shoal water, we hauled our wind to the NE, having at that time 7 fathoms, the next cast 5, and then 3, upon which we let go an anchor and brought the ship up. The NW point of Thirsty Sound or Pier Head bore SE, distant 6 leagues, being midway between the islands off the east point of the western inlet and three small islands directly without them. It was now the first of the flood, which we found to set NW by W ½ W.
After sounding around the shoal, where we found not quite 3 fathoms but deep water outside it, we got under sail and hauled around the three islands just mentioned, anchoring under their lee in 15 fathoms. At this time, we had dark, hazy, rainy weather, which continued until 7 o’clock AM. At this time, we got under sail again and stood to the NW with a fresh breeze at SSE and fair weather, having the mainland in sight and a number of islands all around us, some of which lay out at sea as far as we could see.
The western inlet, known in the chart as Broad Sound. It is at least 9 or 10 leagues wide at the entrance, with several islands laying in and before it, and I believe shoals also, as we had very irregular soundings from 10 to 5 and 4 fathoms. At noon, we were by observation in the latitude of 21° 29′ S and longitude made from Cape Townshend 59′ W. A point of land forming the NW entrance into Broad Sound bore from us at this time W by N, distant 3 leagues. This point I have named Cape Palmerston / Latitude 21° 27′ / Longitude 210° 57′ / Between this cape and Cape Townshend lies the Bay of Inlets, so named from the number of inlets, creeks, etc., in it.