36 
A VOYAGE TO 
[ East Coast 
1802. 10 to 7 fathoms in depth. On the soundings decreasing to 5, we 
Saturday 21. tacked and came to an anchor near the pine island in the entrance, 
in 7 fathoms coarse sand, exposed between N. 75 0 and S. 23° E., and 
the wind was then at south-east ; but having a fair passage by which 
we could run out to the northward, in case of necessity, I did not ap- 
prehend any danger to the vessels. 
Instead of a bight in the coast, we found this to be a port of 
some extent; which ha'd not only escaped the observation of captain 
Cook, but from the shift of wind, was very near being missed by us 
also. I named it Port Bowen, in compliment to captain James 
Bowen of the navy ; and to the hilly projection on the south side of 
PLXvm.) the entrance ( see the sketch), I gave the appellation of Cape Clinton , 
View s. after colonel Clinton of the 85th, who commanded the land, as captain 
Bowen did the sea forces at Madeira, when we stopped at that island. 
A boat was despatched with the scientific gentlemen to the 
north side, where the hills rise abruptly and have a romantic appear- 
ance ; another went to the same place to haul the seine at a small 
beach in front of a gully between the hills, where there was a pro- 
spect of obtaining fresh water ; and a third boat was sent to Entrance 
Island with the carpenters to cut pine logs for various purposes, but 
principally to make a main sliding keel for the Lady Nelson. Our 
little consort sailed indifferently at the best ; but since the main keel 
had been carried away at Facing Island, it was unsafe to trust her on 
a lee shore, even in moderate weather. On landing at Entrance 
Island, to take angles and inspect the form of the port, I saw an arm 
extending behind Cape Clinton to the southward, which had the 
appearance of a river; a still broader arm ran westward, until it 
was lost behind the land; and between Entrance Island and Cape 
Clinton was a space three miles wide, where nothing appeared to 
obstruct the free passage of a ship into both arms. Finding the 
port to be worthy of examination, and learning that the seine had 
been successful and that good water was to be procured, I left orders 
