August 21.

The following day we made very little progress, from light winds in the morning and a dead calm the whole of the evening.  At sunset we anchored at about four miles from the shore, in seventeen fathoms sandy ground.

During the afternoon we were surrounded by an immense number of whales, leaping out of the water and thrashing the sea with their fins; the noise of which, from the calmness and perfect stillness of the air, was as loud as the report of a volley of musketry.  Some remorae were also swimming about the vessel the whole day, and a snake about four feet long, of a yellowish brown colour, rose up alongside, but instantly dived upon seeing the vessel.

August 22.

High-water took place the next morning at twenty-six minutes after six o’clock, at which time we got underweigh with a moderate land-breeze from South-South-East, and steered to the southward along the shore.  At noon we were in latitude 16 degrees 30 minutes 19 seconds, Cape Borda bearing South 42 1/2 degrees East.  Soon after noon the sea-breeze sprung up from the northward and, veering to North-West, carried us to the southward along the coast which is low and sandy.  At three o’clock we were abreast of a point which was conjectured to be the land laid down by the French as Emeriau Island; the name has therefore been retained, with the alteration only of Point for Island.  To the eastward of Cape Borda the coast falls back and forms a bay, the bottom of which was visible from our masthead and appeared to be composed of sand-downs.  From Point Emeriau the coast trends to the south-west, and preserves the same sandy character.  At five o’clock Lacepede Islands, which were seen by Captain Baudin, were in sight to the westward; and at sunset we anchored in eight fathoms, at about three leagues within them.  These islands are three in number, and appear to be solely inhabited by boobies and other sea-fowl:  they are low and sandy and all slightly crowned with a few shrubby bushes; the reef that encompasses them seemed to be of great extent.

August 23.

The next day we were steering along the shore, and passed a sandy projection which was named Cape Baskerville, after one of the midshipman of the Bathurst.  To the southward of Cape Baskerville the coast trends in, and forms Carnot Bay; it then takes a southerly direction.  It is here that Tasman landed, according to the following extract from Dalrymple’s Papua:  “In Hollandia Nova, in 17 degrees 12 minutes South (Longitude 121 degrees, or 122 degrees East) Tasman found a naked, black people, with curly hair, malicious and cruel; using for arms, bows and arrows, hazeygaeys and kalawaeys.  They once came to the number of fifty, double armed, dividing themselves into two parties, intending to have surprised the Dutch, who had landed twenty-five men; but the firing of guns frightened them so, that they fled.  Their proas are made of the bark of trees; their coast is dangerous; there are few vegetables; the people use no houses.”