York Isle, high flat top, S. 35° E. A more northern, double isle, S. 84 W. A high peaked hill (Mt. Ernest of Bligh), N. 16 W.
At two o'clock, when we passed on the north side of the double isle, it was seen to be surrounded with a coral reef, and there were rocks on its west and south sides. We then hauled tip S. W. by S. for some rocky islets lying, as I supposed, off Cape York; but finding no shelter there, bore away round the north end of an island, of which Mr. Westall took a view (Atlas, Plate XVIII. View 12), and anchored in 7 fathoms, gravel and shells, one mile and a half from the land, and two or three cables length from a shoal to the southward, which became dry at low water. Our latitude here was 10° 30' from bearings, and longitude by time-keeper 142(? illegible in book) 18½' east; but I was altogether at a loss to know what islands these were, under which we had anchored. Supposing the flat-topped island to have been the easternmost York Isle, the land we had in sight to the southward should have been Cape York; but no such isles as those around us were laid down by captain Cook, to the north of that cape. On consulting the sketch made by captain Bligh in the Bounty's launch (Voyage to the South Seas, p. 220), it appeared that the first land was not the easternmost isle, but one much nearer to Cape York; and that our anchorage was under the southern group of the Prince of Wales' Islands, the longitude of which, by captain Cook, is 1° 12' west of what I make it.* The north-eastern isle of this group, under which we more immediately lay, is that named Wednesday Island by captain Bligh; to the other isles he gave no name; but the one westward of the ship seems to have been the Hammond's Island of captain Edwards, when passing here with the Pandora's boats. So soon as the weather cleared a little, the subjoined bearings were taken.
[* Mr. Wales deduces from captain Cook's observations in the Endeavour, that the error of his chart here, is 35' west (_Astron. Observations_, p. 131).]
Wednesday I., distant 1½ to 3 miles, S. 89° E. to 21° W. Hammond's Isle, dist. 4 or 5 miles, S. 52 W. to 71 W. Hawkesbury I. (of Edwards), highest part, N. 52 W. Mount Augustus (of Bligh), N. 2 W. A small isle, distant three leagues, N. 24 E. Mount Ernest, peak, N. 36 E. Double Isle, passed at 2 p.m., N. 70½ E. Breakers on a reef, distant 3½ miles, N. 64 to 30 W.
