North Coast: Torres' Strait.} INTRODUCTION. 
xix 
Neither the great extent of the reefs, to the eastward of Cape Bligh and 
York, nor the loss of the Pandora, were known in 1792; when 17 9 2 . 
captain William Bligh came a second time to Torres' Strait, with 
His Majesty's ship Providence, and the brig Assistant commanded by 
lieutenant (now captain) Nathaniel Portlock. The objects of his 
mission were, to transport the bread-fruit plant from Taheity to the 
West Indies ; and, in his way, to explore a new passage through 
the Strait; in both of which he was successful. 
A chart of the discoveries made in Torres' Strait, was lodged, by (At.Pi.Xiii.) 
captain Bligh, in the Admiralty Office ; and is incorporated with 
other authorities, in Plate XIII. of the accompanying Atlas. No 
account of this voyage having yet been published ; it is conceived, 
that the following brief relation of the passage through the strait, 
will be acceptable to the nautical reader ; and, having had the 
honour to serve in the expedition, 1 am enabled to give it from my 
own journal, with the sanction of captain Bligh. 
Aug. 31. Latitude at noon 9 0 25' south; longitude from fifteen 
sets of distances of the sun west, and star east, of the moon, taken on 
the 24th, 25th, and 26th, preceding, 1 4,5 ' 22', and by time keepers, 
1 45° 2 3' east. No land seen since passing Louisiade the preceding 
day; but many birds and fish, and much rock weed. At dusk, 
having steered W. ~ S. 27 miles, breakers were seen a-head, at the 
distance of two miles ; and the vessels hauled to the wind : no 
bottom at 94 fathoms. 
Sept. 1. They bore away W. by S. ; but hauled up gradually to 
South, on account of the breakers ; and not being able to weather 
them, tacked to the N. E. At noon, latitude 9 0 37' south, longitude 
by time keepers, 144 0 59' east:* part of the reef, which was .named 
after captain Portlock, seen in the N. N.W. from the mast head. 
* In Plate XIII. some small alterations are made in the longitudes given by captain 
Bligh s time keepers, to make them correspond with the corrected longitudes of the 
Investigator and Cumberland. 
