There were many traces of natives, though none recent.  Judging from what was seen round the fire places, turtle would seem to be their principal food; and indeed several turtle were seen in the water, but we had not dexterity enough to take any of them.  In fishing with the seine, at a small beach two miles up the sound, we always had tolerably good success; but no fresh water accessible to boats could be found in the neighbourhood.

The latitude of Pier Head, from an observation made at the top in an artificial horizon, is 22 deg. 6’ 53” S.

Longitude from thirteen sets of distances of the sun west of the moon, observed by lieutenant Flinders, 149 deg. 47’ 50”; but by the survey and the fixed position in Broad Sound, with which the time-keepers agreed, it will be more correctly 150 deg. 0’ 10” E.

Captain Cook specifies the situation of Thirsty Sound to be in latitude 22 deg. 10’, longitude 149 deg. 42’ (Hawkesworth, III, 128); but in the chart published by Mr. Dalrymple, it is 22 deg. 7’ and 149 deg. 36’, which agrees nearer with the deductions of Mr. Wales (Astron.  Obs. p. 135).  In either case it appears, that my longitude was getting more eastward from captain Cook as we advanced further along the coast.

WEDNESDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 1802

The tides in Thirsty Sound were neaped at this time, and the rise, judging by the lead line, was from ten to twelve feet; but captain Cook says, “at spring tides the water does not rise less than sixteen or eighteen feet,” which I have no doubt is correct.  It ceases at ten hours and three quarters after the moon passes over and under the meridian.

On quitting Thirsty Sound we steered north-westward, to pass round a chain of rocks extending six miles out from Pier Head, and behind which there was a bight in Long Island, with some appearance of an opening.  It was my intention to examine Broad Sound up to the furthest navigable part, and we hauled up between the north point of Long Island and a cluster of small isles lying three miles to the north-west; but finding the water too shallow, and that it would be more advantageous to begin the examination on the west side, I desired Mr. Murray to lead round the North-point Isles and across the sound.  A small reef lies between four and five miles N. E. by E. from the largest and easternmost of these isles; it is covered at half tide, and therefore dangerous, but we had 7 to 8 fathoms at less than a mile distance, on the inside.

At noon, the depth was 8 fathoms, the largest North-point Isle, which is nearly separated into two, was distant four miles, and our situation was as under: 

Latitude observed to the north, 21 deg. 56’ 17”
Pier Head top, bore S. 38 E.
Northumberland Island, peak marked ‘h’, N. 15 W.
North-point I., westernmost, highest part, S. 56 W.
North-point I., largest, S. 37 to 16 W.