he immediately brought to, with the ship’s head off from the land, and gave a signal for the Friendship to do the same.  They lay to all night, and the next morning were surprised with the sight of a most mountainous coast, bearing from north-east by east to west-north-west, about five or six leagues distant.  This proved sufficiently that the land seen the preceding day could not be Egmont Island, and Lieutenant Shortland was inclined to think that this was united to it.  At six in the morning he bore away west by north, and west by north half north, as the land trended, running along the shore at five or six leagues distance.  The most eastern point of this land he called Cape Henslow, the most western which was then in sight, Cape Hunter.  Between these two points the land is very singularly mountainous, the summits of the mountains rising among the clouds to a prodigious height.  It may be known by one summit more elevated than the rest, which, from being discovered on the first of August, was named Mount Lammas, and is thought in height to equal, if not to exceed the Peak of Teneriffe.  This day the latitude was by observation 9 deg.. 58’. south, and the longitude 160 deg.. 21’. east.  More land still continued to open to the west-north-west, and the same course was therefore kept at an equal distance from the shore till three in the afternoon, when the water appearing suddenly of a different colour, they brought to, and sounded, but found no ground at 120 fathoms.  At four, a part of the land which had the appearance of a harbour, bore north-north-east distant seven leagues.  The land still continued mountainous, and at six o’clock bore from north-east to north-west by west.  The furthest land then in sight appeared to be at the distance of about thirteen or fourteen leagues, and was named Cape Marsh.  At half past six the ships were brought to, and lay to for the night, the weather being very squally, with violent thunder, lightning, and rain.

2 August 1788

Soon after five in the morning of August the 2d, the ships made sail again, and bore away west by north, but the weather being hazy, no land was then in sight; many flying fish were seen at this time.  At eleven, there being a prospect of clearer weather, Lieutenant Shortland endeavoured to make the land again.  At noon the latitude was, by observation, 9 deg.. 40’. south, and the longitude 158 deg.. 42’. east.  Lieutenant Shortland continued to steer north-west to discover whether he had reached the utmost extent of the land, and at eight in the evening spoke to the Friendship, and told the master that he intended to bring to at nine.

3 August 1788