The latitude of the north side of Kirkby Island, observed from an artificial horizon, was 34 deg. 33’ 1” south, and longitude by timekeepers, 136 deg. 10’ 8” east.  The variation from azimuths taken on board the ship at anchor, with the head south-by-west (magnetic as usual), was 2 deg. 40’ east; which corrected to the meridian would be 2 deg. 2’ east, the same nearly as was observed in Memory Cove and at the entrance of Port Lincoln; but an amplitude taken on shore with the surveying theodolite gave 3 deg. 57’ east.  This seemed extraordinary when, except at Cape Donington, no local attraction of importance had been found in the shores of Port Lincoln, where the stone is the same.  It was, however, corroborated by the bearings; for that of Stamford Hill, with 3 deg. 57’ allowed, differed only 2’ from the back bearing with the allowance of 1 deg. 39’; which is a nearer coincidence than I have generally been able to obtain.

At two in the afternoon the anchor was weighed, and leaving most of Sir Joseph Banks’ Group to the right, we steered northward, following the direction of the main land.  The coast is very low and commonly sandy, from Boston Bay to the furthest extreme seen from Kirkby Island; but a ridge of hills, commencing at North-side Hill in Port Lincoln, runs a few miles behind it.  In latitude 34 deg. 20’ this ridge approaches the water side, and in its course northward keeps nearly parallel at the distance of two or three miles.  It is moderately elevated, level, destitute of vegetation, and appeared to be granitic.  At half-past six, when we hauled off for the night, the shore was five or six miles distant; the furthest part bore N. N. E. 1/2 E., and a bluff inland mountain was set at N. 71 deg.  W., over the top of the front ridge.

The wind was moderate from the south-eastward; and at seven on the following morning [MONDAY 8 MARCH 1802], when the bluff inland mountain was bearing W. 2 deg.  N., we resumed our north-eastern course along the shore; which was distant seven miles, and had not changed its appearance.  Towards noon the water shoaled to 6 fathoms at three miles from a sandy beach; a lagoon was visible from the mast head, over the beach, and a small inlet, apparently connected with it, was perceived soon afterward.  A few miles short of this the ridge of hills turns suddenly from the shore, and sweeps round at the back of the lagoon, into which the waters running off the ridge appeared to be received.  The corner hill, where the direction of the ridge is changed, was called Elbow Hill; and since losing sight of the bluff inland mount, it was the first distinguishable mark which had presented itself for the survey; it lies in latitude 33 deg. 43’ and longitude 136 deg. 42’.  The coast there trends nearly east-by-north, and obliged us to haul close to the wind, in soundings of 7 to 9 fathoms.

We had then advanced more than twenty-five leagues to the north-north-east from Cape Catastrope; but although nothing had been seen to destroy the hopes formed from the tides and direction of the coast near that cape, they were yet considerably damped by the want of boldness in the shores and the shallowness of the water; neither of which seemed to belong to a channel capable of leading us into the Gulph of Carpentaria, nor yet to any very great distance inland.