In the morning of Nov. 2, the wind being more moderate and at E. S. E., we steered between Hammond’s Island and the north-western reef, with soundings from 6 to 9 fathoms.  Another island appeared beyond Hammond’s, to the south-west, which, as it had no name, I called Good’s Island, after Mr. Good, the botanical gardener; and we hauled up for it, passing a rock and a small reef between the two.  On seeing an extensive shoal ahead, which would have carried us off the land to go round it, we anchored in 7 fathoms, dead coral and shells, with the north end of Hammond’s Island bearing N. 64 deg.  E., four or five miles.  The botanical gentlemen landed on Good’s Island; and in the afternoon I took these bearings amongst others, from a hill near its south-west end.

The ship, distant 11/4 miles, N. 58 deg. 0’ W.
Wallis’ Isles, over the Shoal Cape of Bligh, S. 23 5 W.
Booby Isle, centre, S. 80 0 W.
Northern isles, the westernmost visible, N. 28 deg. 10’ to 24 5 W.
Hawkesbury Island, N. 9 15 to 4 0 W.
North-west reef, its apparent termination, N. 38 50 W.

The shoal which stopped our progress did not run off from Shoal Cape, as captain Bligh had supposed, but from a smaller and nearer island, two miles from my station.  Within the large island, of which Shoal Cape forms the north-western point, I saw water like an inclosed port, probably the Wolf’s Bay of captain Edwards; and it seemed possible that the land may be there divided; but the best information I can give of the forms and extent of all these islands, will be seen in the particular chart.

It was now ascertained, that the figures resembling sentry boxes were ant hills, of eight or more feet high; Pelsert found similar hills on the West Coast, and says they might have been taken for the houses of Indians, as in fact we did take them at a distant view.  They were also seen by Dampier on the North-west Coast, who mistook them in the same way; but says he found them to be so many rocks, probably from not making the examination with his usual care.  The insects which inhabit, and I suppose erect these structures, are small, reddish, with black heads, and seemed to be a sluggish and feeble race.  We found the common black flies excessively numerous here; and almost as troublesome as Dampier describes them to be on the North-west Coast.

Good’s Island is between one and two miles long, and resembles the rest of the cluster in being hilly, woody, and rocky, with small beaches on the leeward side.  The stone is granitic and brittle; but there is also porphyry, and in one place I found streaks of verdegrease, as if the cliffs above had contained copper ore.  A log of wood, resembling the cedar of Port Jackson, was thrown up on the beach, but none of the trees were seen; those scattered over the island, though of various kinds, were small and fit for little else than the fire.  A species of silk-cotton plant was plentiful; the fibres in the pod are strong, and have a fine gloss, and might perhaps be advantageously employed in manufacture.