118 
A VOYAGE TO 
[North Coast. 
1802. 
October. 
Sunday 31. 
November. 
Monday 1. 
made by captain Bligh in the Bounty's launch (Voyage to the 
South Seas, p. 220), it appeared that the first land was not the east- 
ernmost isle, but one much nearer to Cape York ; and that our an- 
chorage was under the southern group of the Prince of Wales’ Islands, 
the longitude of which, by captain Cook, is i° 12' west of what I make 
it.* The north-eastern isle of this group, under which we more im- 
mediately lay, is that named Wednesday Island by captain Bligh ; to 
the other isles he gave no name ; but the one westward of the ship 
seems to have been the Hammond’s Island of captain Edwards, when 
passing here with the Pandora’s boats. So soon as the weather 
cleared a little, the subjoined bearings were taken. 
Wednesday I., distant i-i-to 3 miles, S. 89’ E. to 21 0 W. 
52 W. to 7 1 
N. 
52 
N. 2 
N. 24 
N. 3 S 
N. 
to 30 W 
W. 
w. 
w. 
E. 
E. 
Hammond’s Isle, dist. 4 or 5 miles, 
Hawkesbury 1 . ( of Edwards ) , highest part, 
Mount Augustus (of Bligh), 
A small isle, distant three leagues, 
Mount Ernest, peak, - 
Double Isle, passed at 2, p. m., 
Breakers on a reef, distant miles, - N. 64 
This evening and all the next day, the wind blew so strong 
that it was impossible to land ; nor did I think it prudent to quit the 
anchorage, though anxious to commence the survey of the Gulph 
of Carpentaria. Upon Hammond’s Island some fires were seen; 
7 <4 E. 
but Wednesday Island showed no signs of being inhabited, unless 
some whitish, conical figures like sentry boxes, were huts ; there 
were bushes and small trees scattered over both islands, but their 
general appearance was rocky and barren. 
The tide here ran nine hours to the westward, at the strongest 
two-arid-half knots; and three hours north-eastward, b it scarcely 
perceptible; which deviation from the regular order was probably 
* Mr. Wales deduces from captain Cook’s observations in (he Endeavour, that the error 
of his chart here, is 35' west (Astron. Observations, p. 131). 
