448 cook's voyage to sept. 



S. 66 W. ; the passage between it and the main S. 

 40 W. ; and the nearest land about two miles distant. 

 I continued to steer for this passage, until the boats, 

 which were ahead, made the signal for having no 

 more than three fathoms' water. On this we hauled 

 without the island ; and made the signal for the 

 Resolution's boat to keep between the ships and the 

 shore. 



This island, which obtained the name of Stuart's 

 Island, lies in the latitude of 63 35\ and seventeen 

 leagues from Cape Denbigh, in the direction of S., 

 S7 W. It is six or seven leagues in circuit. Some 

 parts of it are of a middling height, but in general 

 it is low, with some rocks lying off the western part. 

 The coast of the continent is, for the most part, low 

 land ; but we saw high land up the country. It 

 forms a point opposite the island, which was named 

 Cape Stephens, and lies in latitude 63 S'6\ and in 

 longitude 197 41'. Some drift-wood was seen upon 

 the shores, both of the island and of the continent ; 

 but not a tree w r as perceived growing upon either. 

 One might anchor, upon occasion, between the N. E. 

 side of this island and the continent, in the depth of 

 five fathoms, sheltered from westerly, southerly, and 

 easterly winds. But this station would be wholly 

 exposed to the northerly winds, the land, in that di- 

 rection, being at too great a distance to afford any 

 security. Before we reached Stuart's - Island, we 

 passed two small islands, lying between us and the 

 main ; and as we ranged along the coast, several 

 people appeared upon the shore, and, by signs, seemed 

 to invite us to approach them. 



As soon as we were without the island, we steered 

 S. by W., for the southernmost point of the continent 

 in sight, till eight o'clock in the evening, when, 

 having shoaled the water from six fathoms to less 

 than four, 1 tacked, and stood to the northward, into 

 five fathoms, and then spent the night lying off and 



