A similar error to that at the Capes Van Diemen and Vanderlin has been made here in the Dutch chart, this island being represented as a projection of the main land, and called Cape Maria.  To the west of it is marked a large bay or bight, called Limmen’s Bogt, where the coast turns north-eastward to a projecting cape without name, which has a shoal, forty miles in length, running out from it; and between this shoal and Cape Maria, is laid down a small island.  In these particulars, the old chart was found to be correct as to the general matter of fact, but erroneous in the forms and positions.

SATURDAY 1 JANUARY 1803

Fires were seen at night, upon the island; and early in the morning I landed with the botanical gentlemen, to examine the productions and take bearings.  My attention was attracted by something like a native’s hut, which proved to be an ant hill composed of red earth, about eight feet high, and formed like a haycock; the inhabitants were the same feeble race of insect as before seen at the Prince of Wales’ Islands, and the least pressure was sufficient to crush them.  From the highest hill on the south side of the island, I set the furthest visible extremity of the main land to the eastward, near which is a low islet, at S. 21 deg. 50’ E.; from thence it extended past the projecting part of the hills to N. 80 deg.  W., where it was lost in Limmen’s Bight; but re-appearing 16 deg. further north, it was distinguishable to N. 33 deg.  W.

The length of the island is about seven miles, N. E. and S. W., by a variable breadth from one to four miles; and its northern extremity, to which I continue the name of Cape Maria, lies in 14 deg. 50’ south, and 135 deg. 531/2’ east.  A slaty rock seemed to form its basis; the surface is hilly, well covered with wood, and grass grows up from amongst the loose stones; and notwithstanding its barren soil, the appearance from the ship was green and pleasant.  That men were upon the island was shown by the fires, and it was corroborated by the fresh prints of feet upon the sand; but they eluded our search, and we did not find either canoes or habitations.

On returning to the ship at nine o’clock, we stretched southward for the main coast, with the wind at west.  When within five or six miles, the water shoaled to 31/2 fathoms; and the ship being found to drift to leeward with the tide, a stream anchor was dropped.  There seemed to be two tides here in the day, setting nearly east and west, but the rise and fall were so imperceptible by the lead, that it could not be known which was the flood.

The west wind died away at noon, and being succeeded by a sea breeze from the north-eastward, we steered for Limmen’s Bight so long as it lasted; and then anchored in 4 fathoms, blue mud, with the island of Cape Maria bearing S. 56 deg. to 86 deg.  E., ten or twelve miles.  The main land was eight or nine miles off, and visible all round the Bight and as far as N. 6 deg.  W.; it was low and woody, and an extensive shelving flat seemed to render it inaccessible to a ship.