North Coast: Torres' Strait.'] INTRODUCTION. x ]\ 
The plumage of the body was green ; the head, bill, and legs, red ; Bamfton 
the tail, and under sides of the wings, yellow. No huts, plantations, "f^*' 
or other signs of fixed inhabitants were seen ; nor was there any 
fresh water. 
On the return of the boat, the vessels weighed ; and the wind 
being at W. S. W., they worked through, between Dungeness and 
Warriors Islands, with the flood tide. They then anchored in 11 
fathoms ; the first Island bearing S. S. E. to S - W. three leagues, and 
the second E. by S. i S. 
July 28. Having a fresh breeze at E. S. E., the long boat was 
sent a-head, and the ships followed, to the westward. They passed 
Turtle-backed Island, the Cap, and the Brothers, on one side, and 
Nichols' Key on the other : the soundings gradually shoaling from 
12 to 7 fathoms. Upon the Cap, Mr. Bampton " saw a volcano 
" burning with great violence," which induced him to give it the 
name of Fire Island; not knowing that it had before been named. 
At noon, the Brothers, with the Cap and Turtle-backed Island 
behind, bore S. E. by S. to S \ E. four miles ; and Mount Corn- 
wallis N. 16 0 W. 
The water continued to shoal ; and at three p. m., the ships 
anchored in 5 fathoms, sand, shells, and stones ; the Brothers bear- 
ing E. by S. i S. five leagues, and Mount Cornwallis N. by E. i E. 
There were two large islands in sight in the S. S. W. \ W. to S. W. 
4 S., at the distance of eight or ten leagues ; and many nearer reefs 
in the same direction. 
July 29. The long boat was sent to sound in the north-west ; 
and when the ebb tide slacked, the ships followed : wind at E. S. E. 
The soundings increased from 5 to 7 fathoms ; and afterwards varied 
between these depths, until noon ; when the latitude observed was 
9° 42' south* The Brothers then bore S. 64° E. ; Mount Cornwallis 
N. 38° E; and a long, low island (Turn-again, of Bligh,) N. 35 0 to 
* This latitude is from 4' to 6' more south than captain Bligh 's positions ; and the same 
difference occurs in all the observations, where a comparison can be made. 
VOL. J. G 
