very flat, and of a barren appearance.  To the southward of the Cape the shore forms a large open bay, which I called Newcastle Bay, and in which are some small low islands and shoals; the land adjacent is also very low, flat, and sandy.  The land of the northern part of the Cape is more hilly, the vallies seem to be well clothed with wood, and the shore forms some small bays, in which there appeared to be good anchorage.  Close to the eastern point of the Cape are three small islands, from one of which a small ledge of rocks runs out into the sea:  There is also an island close to the northern point.  The island that forms the streight or channel through which we had passed, lies about four miles without these, which, except two, are very small:  The southermost is the largest, and much higher than any part of the main land.  On the north-west side of this island there appeared to be good anchorage, and on shore, vallies that promised both wood and water.  These islands are distinguished in the chart by the name of York Isles.  To the southward, and south-east, and even to the eastward and northward of them, there are several other low islands, rocks, and shoals:  Our depth of water in sailing between them and the main, was twelve, thirteen, and fourteen fathom.

We stood along the shore to the westward, with a gentle breeze at S.E. by S., and when we had advanced between three and four miles, we discovered the land ahead, which, when we first saw it, we took for the main, to be islands detached from it by several channels:  Upon this we sent away the boats, with proper instructions, to lead us through that channel which was next the main; but soon after discovering rocks and shoals in this channel, I made a signal for the boats to go through the next channel to the northward, which lay between these islands, leaving some of them between us and the main:  The ship followed, and had never less than five fathom water in the narrowest part of the channel, where the distance from island to island was about one mile and a half.

At four o’clock in the afternoon, we anchored, being about a mile and a half, or two miles, within the entrance, in six fathom and a half, with clear ground:  The channel here had begun to widen, and the islands on each side of us were distant about a mile:  The main-land stretched away to the S.W., the farthest point in view bore S. 48 W., and the southermost point of the islands, on the north-west side of the passage, bore S. 76 W. Between these two points we could see no land, so that we conceived hopes of having, at last, found a passage into the Indian sea; however, that I might be able to determine with more certainty, I resolved to land upon the island which lies at the south-east point of the passage.  Upon this island we had seen many of the inhabitants when we first came to an anchor, and when I went into the boat, with a party of men, accompanied by Mr Banks and Dr Solander, in order to go ashore, we saw ten