Monday, 28th May, 1770
Winds at SSE, a fresh breeze. At 3 o’clock in the PM, we passed Cape Manifold, from which the land trends NNW. The land of this cape is tolerably high and rises in hills directly from the sea. It may be known by three islands lying off it, one near the shore and the other two 8 miles out at sea; one of these is low and flat, and the other high and round.
At 6 o’clock, we shortened sail and brought to. The northernmost part of the mainland we had in sight bore NW, and some islands laying off it bore N 31° West. Our soundings since noon were from 20 to 25 fathoms, and in the night, 30 and 34 fathoms. At daylight in the morning, we made sail, Cape Manifold bearing SBE distant 8 leagues, and the islands set last night in the same direction distant from us 4 miles, and the farthest point of the main bore N 67° W, distant 22 miles, but we could see several islands to the northward of this direction.
At 9 o’clock, we were abreast of the above point, which I named Cape Townshend / Latitude 22° 13′, Longitude 209° 48′ West. The land of this cape is of moderate and pretty even height and is more barren than woody. Several islands lay to the northward of it, 4 or 5 leagues out at sea. 3 or 4 leagues to the SE, the shore forms a bay, in the bottom of which there appeared to be an inlet or harbour.
To the westward of the cape, the land trends SW½S and forms a very large bay which turns away to the eastward and probably communicates with the inlet to the SE of the cape above mentioned and by that means makes the land of the cape an island. As soon as we got around this cape, we hauled our wind to the westward in order to get within the islands which lay scattered upon and down in this bay in great numbers and extend out to sea as far as we could see from the mast-head. How much farther will hardly be in my power to determine, as they are as various both in their height and circuit as they are numerous.
We had not stood long upon a wind before we met with shoal water and were obliged to tack at once to avoid it. After which, I sent a boat ahead and we bore away WBN, leaving many small islands, rocks, and shoals between us and the main and a number of larger islands without us. Our soundings were from 14 to 17 fathoms, sandy bottom. A little before noon, the boat made the signal for meeting with shoal water. Upon this, we hauled close upon a wind to the eastward but suddenly fell into 3¼ fathoms of water, upon which we immediately let go an anchor and brought the ship up with all sails standing and had then 4 fathoms, coarse sandy bottom. We found here a strong tide setting to the NWBW½W at the rate of between 2 and 3 miles an hour, which was what carried us so quickly upon the shoal. Our latitude by observation was 22° 8′ South. Cape Townshend bore East 16° South, distant 13 miles, and the westernmost part of the mainland in sight W¾N, having a number of islands in sight all around us.