168 A VOYAGE TO [South Coast 
1802. gale would come on, and that as usual it would veer to the south- 
March. 
Saturday 20. west, we ceased to follow the coast beyond Cape Spencer, and 
steered for the land seen in the southern quarter. The Althorpe 
Isles were passed at eight o'clock, at the distance of eight or nine 
miles ; and the wind being fresh at west, we made short trips during 
the night between the two lands, not knowing what might be in the 
Sunday 2i. space to leeward. At daylight the ship was nearly in mid-channel, 
between the southern land and Cape Spencer, and nothing was seen 
to the eastward. It then blew a fresh gale at south-west, with much 
sea running; we stretched south-east under close-reefed topsails, to 
get under the lee of the southern land ; and at eight o'clock, when 
the largest Althorpe Isle bore N. 32 0 W\, it was distant six or seven 
miles to the south, and extended from S. 61° W. to 79 0 E., as far as 
the eye could reach. It was rather high, and cliffy; but there was 
nothing by which to judge of its connection with the main. 
At ten o'clock we were close under the land ; and finding the 
water tolerably smooth, had shortened sail with the intention of an- 
choring near a small, sandy beach ; but the situation proving to be 
too much exposed, we steered eastward along the shore under two 
close-reefed top sails and fore sail, the wind blowing strong in squalls 
from the south-west. The furthest land seen a-head at noon, was a 
projecting point, lower than the other cliffs; it bore E. f S., four 
leagues, and lies in 35 0 33' south, and 137° 41' east. It was named 
Point Marsden, in comphnient to the second secretary of the Admi- 
ralty ; and beyond it the coast was found to trend sout h waul into a 
large bay containing three coves, any one of which promised good 
shelter from the gale. This was called Nepfan Bay, in compli- 
ment, to the first secretary (now sir Evan Nepean, Bart.), and we 
hauled up for it ; but the strength of the wind was such, that a head 
land forming the east side of the bay was fetched with difficulty. 
At six in the evening we came to anchor in 9 fathoms, sandy bot- 
tom, within a mile of the shore ; the east extreme bearing S. 76 0 E., 
and the land near Point Marsden, on the west side of Nepean Bay, 
