Wednesday, 16th May, 1770
Winds southerly, a fresh gale, with which we steered north alongshore until sunset. At that time, we discovered breakers ahead and on our larboard bow, being at this time in 20 fathoms and about 5 miles from the land. We hauled off east until 8, by which time we had run 8 miles and increased our depth of water to 44 fathoms. We then brought the ship to with her head to the eastward and lay on this tack until 10 o’clock, when, having increased our soundings to 78 fathoms, we wore and lay with her head inshore until 5 a.m., when we made sail. At daylight, we were surprised to find ourselves farther to the southward than we were in the evening, despite the strong southerly wind blowing all night. We saw the breakers again within us, which we passed at a distance of about 1 league. They lay in the latitude of 28 degrees 8 minutes south and stretched off east 2 leagues from a point under which is a small island. Their situation may always be found by the peaked mountain before mentioned, which bears south-west by west from them, and I have named it Mount Warning. It lies 7 or 8 leagues inland in the latitude of 28 degrees 22 minutes south. The land is high and hilly about it, but it is conspicuous enough to be distinguished from everything else. The point off which these shoals lay I have named Point Danger; to the northward of it, the land, which is low, trends north-west by north, but we soon found that it did not keep that direction long before it turned again to the northward. At noon, we were about 2 leagues from the land, and by observation in the latitude of 27 degrees 46 minutes, which was 17 miles to the southward of the log; longitude 206 degrees 26 minutes west. Mount Warning bore south 20 degrees west, distant 14 leagues; the northernmost land in sight bore north. Our course and distance made good since yesterday north 1 degree 45 minutes west, 53 miles.