The situation of Mount Lofty was found from hence and from some other cross bearings, to be 34 deg. 59’ south and 138 deg. 42’ east.  No land was visible so far to the north as where the trees appeared above the horizon, which showed the coast to be very low, and our soundings were fast decreasing.  From noon to six o’clock we ran thirty miles to the northward, skirting a sandy shore at the distance of five, and thence to eight miles; the depth was then 5 fathoms, and we dropped the anchor upon a bottom of sand, mixed with pieces of dead coral.

MONDAY 29 MARCH 1802

In the morning, land was seen to the westward, and also a hummocky mountain, capped with clouds, apparently near the head of the inlet.  Azimuths with the surveying compass, taken when the ship’s head was south-eastward, gave 2 deg. 27’ east variation; but an amplitude taken at the same anchorage on the preceding evening, when the head was south-by-west, showed 5 deg. 22’ east.  These corrected to the meridian, will be severally 4 deg. 43’ and 4 deg. 44’ east; or half a degree more than was observed near Kangaroo Head.  The observations at this anchorage and the bearings taken were as follow: 

Latitude observed from the moon, 34 deg. 36’ S.
Longitude by time keepers, 138 18 E.
Mount Lofty, S. 411/2 deg.  E.
Nearest shore, distant 7 miles, N. E. to N.
Hummock mount, highest top, N. 121/2 W.
Western land, furthest extremes, N. 51 deg. to S. 65 W.

There being almost no wind in the morning, we remained at anchor until nine o’clock, to set up afresh the rigging of the new top masts; and I took a boat to sound upon a rippling near the ship, but found the same depth of 5 fathoms.  Very little progress was made until noon, at which time shoal water obliged us to steer westward.  At three the soundings had increased from 31/2 to 10 fathoms, which was the deepest water to be found; for it became shallower on approaching the western shore.  After steering various northwardly courses, we anchored at sunset in 5 fathoms, sand, shells and broken coral; the shores then appeared to close round at the distance of seven or eight miles; and the absence of tide gave no prospect of finding any river at the head of the inlet.

According to lieutenant Flinders’ observations, the situation of the anchorage was in

Latitude, 34 deg. 16’ 36”
Longitude by time keepers, 138 6
Mount Lofty, dist. 17 leagues, bore, S. 35 E.
Hummock Mount, highest part, N. 5 E.
A low sandy point, dist. 3 or 4, miles, N. 69 E.
A low point covered with mangroves, N. 53 W.

The variation from an amplitude, observed when the ship’s head was south-eastward, was 2 deg. 50’ east; but the compass being upon a stand out of its usual place, I cannot deduce the true variation, but took it to be; 4 deg. 40’ east, nearly as found at the preceding anchorage.