TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY 1802

Next morning I went in a boat ten miles along the shore to the northward, in the double view of continuing the search and carrying on the survey.  All the little sinuosities of the coast were followed, and in one place I picked up a small keg which had belonged to Mr. Thistle, and also some broken pieces of the boat but these were all that could be discovered.  After taking angles at three stations on the main land, I crossed over to the northernmost and largest of the six small islands lying within Thorny passage.  It is a mile and a half long, with a small islet off the north and another off its south end.  These I called Taylor’s Isles, in memory of the young gentleman who was in the cutter with Mr. Thistle.  They lie near two miles from the main, and the depth between is from 7 to 10 fathoms, on a sandy bottom.  A ship might anchor and be sheltered here, off a small beach at the north end of the largest island; but I did not find any fresh water, either there or on the opposite parts of the main land.

On returning to the ship I learned from some of the gentlemen who had been at the top of the highest hills at the back of the cove, that they had seen an inlet, going in westward, a little beyond where my excursion had terminated.  Next day [WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 1802], I went up with instruments; and having climbed upon a high lump of granite, saw the water extending 40 deg. behind the coast, and forming, apparently, an extensive port.  The view taken from near the same spot by Mr. Westall shows what was visible of this fine piece of water, and the appearance of the neighbouring land.  In addition to this interesting discovery, I obtained bearings of Cape Wiles, of the furthest extremity of Thistle’s Island, and of a group of four islands and two rocks, five leagues beyond it to the east-south-east.  The largest of these was named Wedge Island, from its shape, and the group GAMBIER’S ISLES, in honour of the worthy admiral (now lord Gambier) who had a seat at the Admiralty board when the Investigator was ordered to be fitted.

This morning lieutenant Fowler had been sent to search the southern islands in Thorny Passage for any remains of our people; but he was not able to land, nor in rowing round them to see any indication of the objects of his pursuit.  The recovery of their bodies was now the furthest to which our hopes extended; but the number of sharks seen in the cove and at the last anchorage rendered even this prospect of melancholy satisfaction extremely doubtful; and our want of water becoming every day more pressing, we prepared to depart for the examination of the new opening to the northward.  I caused an inscription to be engraven upon a sheet of copper, and set up on a stout post at the head of the cove, which I named Memory Cove; and further to commemorate our loss, I gave to each of the six islands nearest to Cape Catastrophe the name of one of the seamen:  Thistle’s and Taylor’s Islands have been already mentioned.  Mr. Westall’s view from the ship in Memory Cove, represents Thistle’s Island and three of the small isles in front of it.