We arrived in this country in the end of January, 1788; the weather was then very fine, though warm; the sea and land breezes pretty regular, and Farenheit’s thermometer was from 72 deg. to 80 deg..

In February, the weather was sultry, with lightning, thunder, and heavy rain; this sort of weather continued for a fortnight, with few and very short intervals of fair weather; a flash of lightning fell one night near the camp, and struck a tree near to the post of a centinel, who was much hurt by it; the tree was greatly rent, and there being at the foot of it a pen in which were a sew pigs and sheep, they were all killed.  Towards the latter end of the month the weather was more settled, little thunder, lightning, or rain, and the thermometer from 65 deg. to 77 deg..

In the middle of this month, Lieutenant King of the Sirius, a master’s mate, and surgeon’s mate, with four other men from the ship, together with a few men and women convicts, embarked on board the Supply armed tender, and she sailed with them for Norfolk Island.  In the passage thither, they fell in with a small island which had not before been discovered; it lies in latitude 31 deg. 36’ south, and about 140 leagues to the eastward of this coast; lieutenant Ball named it Lord Howe’s Island.  After having landed the party intended to remain on Norfolk Island, with their provisions and stores, Mr. Ball, in his return to Port Jackson, called at Lord Howe’s Island, in order to examine it more particularly.  He found anchorage on the west side of it, but the bottom was coral rock.  He landed, with his boat, within a reef, and caught a number of excellent turtle upon a sandy beach:  this island also abounded with a variety of birds, which were so unaccustomed to being disturbed, that the seamen came near enough to knock down as many as they wanted with sticks.

In March, the weather was variable, sometimes strong gales from the southward and south-east, with moist and hazy weather; a great sea rolling in upon the coast.  This month the marines were ordered to clear ground and begin to build huts and barracks for the winter; the convicts were also directed to employ certain hours in the same necessary work for themselves.  The mornings and evenings were now rather cold; the thermometer from 60 deg. to 75 deg..

In the month of April the weather was much the same as in March; rather variable; a few days of cloudy weather with rain, which generally fell in the night, and southerly and south-east winds; but when the wind shifted to the westward or north-west, the weather became fair and pleasant, and this weather was frequently attended with sea and land breezes; the mornings and evenings cold, and the middle of the day (if calm) very hot.  Thermometer from 68 deg. to 72 deg..

The beginning of this month much bad weather; strong gales from south to south-east, generally attended with rain in the night; middle of the month fair and settled weather for several days together, with a regular land and sea wind; towards the end of the month the wind prevailed between south-west and south-east, weather unsettled, showers of rain commonly in the night; in the day little wind and warm weather.  The thermometer from 56 deg. to 67 deg..