At noon, our latitude was 43 deg. 47’ S. longitude 147 deg.  E., and the situation of the lands round us as follows:  An elevated round-topped hill bore N. 17 deg.  W.; the S.W. cape N. 74 deg.  W.; the Mewstone W. 1/2 N.; Swilly Isle, or Rock, S. 49 deg.  E.; and the S.E. of S. cape N. 40 deg.  E. distant near three leagues.  The land between the S.W. and S. capes is broken and hilly, the coast winding, with points shooting out from it; but we were too far off to be able to judge whether the bays formed by these points were sheltered from the sea-winds.  The bay which appeared to be the largest and deepest, lies to the westward of the peaked hill above mentioned.  The variation of the compass here was 5 deg. 15’ E.

At six o’clock in the afternoon we sounded, and found sixty fathoms water, over a bottom of broken coral and shells.  The S. cape then bore N. 75 deg.  W. two or three leagues distant; Tasman’s Head N.E.; and Swilly Rock S. by W 1/2 W. About a league to the eastward of Swilly is another elevated rock, that is not taken notice of by Captain Furneaux.  I called it the Eddystone, from its very great resemblance to that light-house.  Nature seems to have left these two rocks here for the same purpose that the Eddystone light-house was built by man, viz. to give navigators notice of the dangers around them; for they are the conspicuous summits of a ledge of rocks under water, on which the sea, in many places, breaks very high.  Their surface is white with the dung of sea-fowls; so that they may be seen at some distance even in the night.  On the N.E. side of Storm Bay, which lies between the S. cape and Tasman’s Head, there are some coves or creeks, that seemed to be sheltered from the sea-winds; and I am of opinion, that, were this coast examined, there would be found some good harbours.

Soon after we had sight of land the westerly winds left us, and were succeeded by variable light airs and alternate calms, till the 26th at noon.  At that time a breeze sprung up and freshened at S.E. which put it in my power to carry into execution the design I had, upon due consideration, formed, of carrying the ships into Adventure Bay, where I might expect to get a supply of wood and of grass for the cattle; of both which articles we should, as I now found, have been in great want if I had waited till our arrival in New Zealand.  We therefore stood for the bay, and anchored in it at four o’clock in the afternoon, at twelve fathoms water, over a bottom of sand and ooze.  Penguin Island, which lies close to the E. point of the bay, bore N. 84 deg.  E.; the southernmost point of Maria’s Islands bore N. 76 deg. 1/2 E.; and Cape Frederick Henry, or the N. point of the bay, bore N. 33 deg.  E. Our distance from the nearest shore was about three quarters of a mile.

As soon as we had anchored, I ordered the boats to be hoisted out.  In one of them I went myself to look for the most commodious place for furnishing ourselves with the necessary supplies; and Captain Clerke went in his boat upon the same service.  Wood and water we found in plenty, and in situations convenient enough, especially the first.  But grass, of which we stood most in need, was scarce, and also very coarse.  Necessity, however, obliged us to take such as we could get.