Longitude, according to the position of Upper Head and the survey from thence, 150 deg. 12’ E.

Variation of the needle, observed on the low south-west point of No. 2, 8 deg. 28’ E.

Three compasses on board the ship at anchor, gave 5 deg. 34’ when the head was east, or corrected to the meridian, 8 deg. 4’ E.

Upon the different elevated places whence bearings were taken, the variation differed from 7 deg. 30’ to 9 deg. 30’ east.

MONDAY 4 OCTOBER 1802

Early in the morning of the 4th, we got under way, with the Lady Nelson in company, to proceed on our voyage to Torres’ Strait and the Gulph of Carpentaria.  The wind was at E. by N., and we kept close up to weather the northern Percy Isles; for I had a desire to fall in with the reefs laid down by Mr. Campbell, three-quarters of a degree to the eastward, in latitude 211/2 deg.; and to ascertain their termination to the north-westward.

[EAST COAST. BARRIER REEFS.]

The tide prevented us from weathering the islands till three in the afternoon; we then passed between No. 4 and some rocks lying two miles to the north-east, with 33 fathoms water.  During the night we tacked every two hours, working to the eastward, in from 30 to 36 fathoms; and at daylight [TUESDAY 5 OCTOBER 1802], my station on the eastern isle No. 4 bore N. 89 deg.  W., four leagues.  Nothing was seen in the offing, but in stretching to the N. N. E, reefs were discovered from the mast head a little before noon; and after the observation for the latitude was taken, I set one bearing East to E. by S., two leagues, and another N. 14 deg.  W. to 29 deg.  E., four or five miles.  Our situation was in 21 deg. 15 2/3’ south, and longitude from the bearing of the Pine Peak, 150 deg. 34’ east.

These reefs were not exactly those seen by Mr. Campbell; but they are probably not more than five or six leagues to the north-westward of them, and form part of the same barrier to the coast.  In standing on between the two reefs above set, others, or parts of the same, came in sight ahead; upon which I shortened sail to the three top sails, desired the Lady Nelson to take the lead, and bore away north-westward along the inner side of the northern reef.  In an hour we had passed its west end; but another reef came in sight, and for a time obliged us to steer W. by S. At four o’clock we ran northward again, following the direction of the reef on its lee side; and at six anchored in 27 fathoms, coarse sand, in the following situation: 

Latitude observed from the moon., 21 deg. 4’ S.
Longitude from bearings, 150 19 E.
Nearest part of the reef, dist. 21/2 miles, E. 1/2 S.
A smaller reef, distant 3 miles, N. W. 1/2 N.
Percy Isles, Pine Peak of No. 3, S. 9 0 W.
Cumberland Island marked ‘k’, W. 6 0 N.