On the 17th at noon, we observed in latitude 19 deg. 54’, when the isle of Balabea bore S. 68 deg.  W., ten and a half leagues distant.  We continued to ply, with variable light winds, between N.E. and S.E., without meeting with any thing remarkable till the 20th at noon, when Cape Colnett bore N. 78 deg.  W., distant six leagues.  From this cape the land extended round by the south to E.S.E. till it was lost in the horizon, and the country appeared with many hills and vallies.  Latitude observed 20 deg. 41’, longitude made from Observatory Isle 1 deg. 8’ E. We stood in shore with a light breeze at east till sun-set, when we were between two and three leagues off.  The coast extended from S. 42 deg. 1/2 E. to N. 59 deg.  W. Two small islets lay without this last direction, distant from us four or five miles; some others lay between us and the shore, and to the east, where they seemed to be connected by reefs, in which appeared some openings from space to space.  The country was mountainous, and had much the same aspect as about Balade.  On one of the western small isles was an elevation like a tower; and over a low neck of land within the isle were seen many other elevations, resembling the masts of a fleet of ships.

Next day at sun-rise, after having stood off all night with a light breeze at S.E., we found ourselves about six leagues from the coast; and in this situation we were kept by a calm till ten in the evening, when we got a faint land-breeze at S.W., with which we steered S.E. all night.,

On the 22d at sun-rise the land was clouded, but it was not long before the clouds went off, and we found, by our land-marks, that we had made a good advance.  At ten o’clock, the land-breeze being succeeded by a sea-breeze at E. by S., this enabled us to stand in for the land, which at noon extended from N. 78 deg.  W. to S. 31 deg. 1/2 E., round by the S. In this last direction the coast seemed to trend more to the south in a lofty promontory, which, on account of the day, received the name of Cape Coronation.  Latitude 22 deg. 2’, longitude 167 deg. 7’ 1/2 E. Some breakers lay between us and the shore, and probably they were connected with those we had seen before.

During the night, we had advanced about two leagues to the S.E.; and at day-break on the 23d an elevated point appeared in sight beyond Cape Coronation, bearing S. 23 deg.  E. It proved to be the south-east extremity of the coast, and obtained the name of Queen Charlotte’s Foreland.  Latitude 22 deg. 16’ S., longitude 167 deg. 14’ E. About noon, having got a breeze from the N.E., we stood to S.S.E., and as we drew towards Cape Coronation, saw in a valley to the south of it, a vast number of those elevated objects before-mentioned; and some low land under the foreland was wholly covered with them.  We could not agree in our opinions of what they were.  I supposed them to be a singular sort of trees, being too numerous to resemble any thing else; and a great deal of smoke kept rising all the