xcviii INTRODUCTION. [Prior Discoveries. 
Bass and We sailed out of Port Jackson early in the morning of March 25, 
"796. ' and stood a little off to sea to be ready for the sea breeze. On coming 
in with the land in the evening, instead of being near Cape Solander, 
we found ourselves under the cliffs near Hat Hill, six or seven 
leagues to the southward, whither the boat had been drifted by a 
strong current. Not being able to land, and the sea breeze coming 
in early next morning from the northward, we steered for two small 
islets, six or seven miles further on, in order to get shelter ; but 
being in want of water, and seeing a place on the way where, though 
the boat could not land, a cask might be obtained by swimming, the 
attempt was made, and Mr. Bass went on shore. Whilst getting off 
the cask, a surf arose further out than usual, carried the boat before 
it to the beach, and left us there with our arms, ammunition, clothes, 
and provisions thoroughly drenched, and partly spoiled. The boat 
was emptied and launched again immediately ; but it was late in the 
afternoon before every thing was rafted off, and we proceeded to 
the islets. It -was not possible to land there ; and we went on to two 
larger isles lying near a projecting point of the main, which has four 
hillocks upon it presenting the form of a double saddle, and proved 
to be captain Cook's Red Point. The isles were inaccessible as the 
others ; and it being dark, we were constrained to pass a second 
night in Tom Thumb, and dropped our stone anchor in 7 fathoms, 
under the lee of the point. 
The sea breeze, on the 27th, still opposed our return ; and learning 
from two Indians that no water could be procured at Red Point, we 
accepted their offer of piloting us to a river which, they said, lay a 
few miles further southward, and where not only fresh water was 
abundant, but also fish and wild ducks. These men were natives of 
Botany Bay, whence it was that we understood a little of their lan- 
guage, whilst that of some others was altogether unintelligible. Their 
river proved to be nothing more than a small stream, which de- 
scended from a lagoon under Hat Hill, and forced a passage for 
itself through the beach ; so that we entered it with difficulty even 
