14 
A VOYAGE TO 
[East Coast. 
1802 Bay at noon ; and the ship being drifted by the tide toward some 
l£Sy ‘a. rocks lying off the head, a boat went to sound amongst them for a 
passage ; in the mean time an air sprung up at north ; and having 
got the ship's head to the eastward, we stretched off from the rocks. 
This north head lies in latitude 24 0 o', as laid down by captain Cook, 
and bears from the south head N. 44 0 W., twelve miles ; it is mode- 
rately high, and behind it is a mass of hummocky, barren hills, 
which extend far to the westward. A reef lies out as far as two 
miles from the north head ; but within the outer rock above water 
our boat had 14 fathoms, and there was room for a ship to pass. 
Not being able to weather the reef before dark, we worked to 
windward during the night ; bearing down frequently to the Lady 
Wednesd. 4. Nelson, to prevent separation. At daylight, the wind had shifted 
gradually round, from north to the south-westward ; and at noon 
the north head of Bustard Bay was brought to bear S. 16 0 E., four 
leagues, our latitude being then 33 0 48', and longitude 151° 40'. A 
low island was seen from the mast head, bearing north at .the sup- 
posed distance of six leagues, of which captain Cook does not make 
any mention ;* and the furthest visible part of the main land was a 
conspicuous hill, named Mount Larcom, in compliment to captain 
Larcom of the navy. It bore W. N., ten or eleven leagues ; but 
the coast line between it and the north head of Bustard Bay, seemed 
* to be much broken. 
In the afternoon, a breeze from the north-westward enabled 
us to stretch in for the land ; and we anchored soon after sunset in 
10 fathoms, brown sand, five or six miles from a projection which 
received the name of Gatcombe Head; and to the southward of it 
* A cluster of low islands, about fifteen leagues from the coast, was seen in the 
following year by Mr. Bunker, commander of the Albion, south whaler. He described 
the cluster to be of considerable extent, and as lying in latitude 23f°, and longitude about 
152£° ; or nearly a d"gree to the eastward of the low isle above mentioned. It is pro- 
bably to these islands, whose existence captain Cook suspecte d, that the great flights of 
boobies he saw in Hervey’s Bay retire at night. 
