ADMIRALTY BAY. 15 
froute as might be of moft advantage to the fervice ; and upon 
this fiibjefl took the opinion of my officers. I had myfelf a 
ftrong defire to return by Cape Horn, becaufe that would have 
enabled me finally to determine, whether there is or not a 
fbuthern continent ; but againft this it was a Efficient objec- 
tion that we mult have kept in a high fouthern latitude, in the 
very depth of winter, with a vefl'el which was not thought Ef- 
ficient for the undertaking : and the fame reafon was urged 
againft our proceeding directly for the Cape of Good Hope, 
with ftill more force, becaufe no difcovery of moment could 
be hoped for in that rout ; it was therefore refolved that we 
ftiould return by the Eail- Indies, and that with this view we 
fhould, upon leaving the coaft, lleer weftward, till we ftiould 
fall in with the eaft coaft of New- Holland, and then follow 
the direction of that coaft to the northward, till we fhould ar- 
rive at its northern extremity ; but if that fhould be found im- 
practicable, it was further refolved that we fhould endeavour 
to fall in with the land, or iflands, faid to have been difcover- 
ed by Quiros, 
With this view, at break of day on Saturday the 31ft of 
March 1770, we got under fail, and put to fea, with the ad- 
vantage of a frefh gale at S. E. and clear weather, taking 
our departure from the eaftern point, which we had l'een at 
noon on the 23, and to which, on this occaiion, I gave the 
name of Cape Farewell. 
The bay out of which we had juft failed I called Ad mi 
ralty Bay, giving the name of Cape Stephens to the 
north weft point, and of Cape Jackson to the fouth eaft, 
after the two gentlemen who at this time were Secretaries to 
the Board. 
Admiralty Bay may be eafily known by the ifland that has 
been juft mentioned, which lies two miles N. E. of Cape Ste- 
phens, in latitude 40 : 37 S. longitude, 185 : 6 W. and is of 
a confiderable height. Between this ifland and Cape Fare- 
well, which are between fourteen and fifteen leagues diftant 
from each other, in thediredion of W. by N. and E. by S. 
the fhore forms a large deep bay, the bottom of which we could 
fcarcely fee while vve were failing in a ftrait line from one cape 
to the other ; it is, however, probable of lefs depth than it ap- 
peared to be, for as we found the water lhallower here, than at 
the diftance from any other part of the coaft, there is reafon to 
fuppofe, that the land at the bottom which lies next the fea is 
low, and therefore not eafily to be diftinguilhed from it. I 
have for this reafcn called it Blind Bay, and am of opinion 
that it is the fame which was called Murderer’s Bay by Tafman. 
Such particulars of this country and its inhabitants, with 
their manners and cuftoms, as could be learnt while we were 
circumnavigating the coaft, /hall now be related. * 
B 2 
CHAP, 
