72 C O O K »S V O y A G E, 
by N. At nine, we were abreaft of a p oint, at the diftance of 
one mile, with fourteen fathom water. This point 1 found to 
lie direftly under t e Tropic cf Capricorn ; and for that rea- 
fon I called it Cape Capricorn : its longitude is 208 : 58 
W. ; it is of a ccnliderable height, looks white and ba ren, 
and may be known by home illands which lie to the N. W. of 
it, and fome fmal' r cks at the diftance of about a league S. 
E. On the weft side of the Cape there appeared to be a la- 
goon, and on rh nvo /pits whi n formed die entrance we law 
an incredible run u r , he large bir-ds that relent Me a peli- 
can. 1 he noithermoft land now in light bore rrom Cape 
Capricorn N. 24 W. and appeared tc bean ii nd ; but the 
mainland maided y . \ I\. whi li courle we .fleered, 
having irem fd een to nx and Irom fix to nine, wi'h a 
hard 1 indy bottom. At no 11, our latitude by obiervation 
was 23 : 24 b. ; Cape Capricorn bore S. 60 E. diftaut two 
leagues ; and a fmali ilLnd 3 N. by E. two miles : in this litu- 
a don we had nine fathom, being abcut four miles Iron, the 
main, which, next the fea, is' lew and landy, except the points 
whim are high and rocky, 1 he country inland is hilly, but 
by no means of a pleafing afpeft. V. e continued to Hand to 
the N. W. till four o’clock in the afternoi n, when it fell 
calm ; and we foon after anchored in twelve 1: them, having 
the main land and illands in a manner all round us, and Cape 
Capricorn bearing S. 54 E. diftnnt four league's. In the night, 
we found the tide rife and fall near feven fee ; and the flood 
to fet to the weftward, and the ebb to the ealtward, which is 
juft contrary to whhat we found v/hen we were at anchor to the 
call: ward of Buftard Bay. 
At fix in the morning we weighed, with a gentle breeze at 
South, and flood away to the N. W. between the outermoll 
range of iflandsy and the main, leaving feveral fmali illands 
between the main and the flrip, which we palled at a very little 
diftance: our foundings being irregular, from twelve to four 
fathom, I fent a boat a-head to found. At noon we were about 
three miles from the main, and about the fame diftance from 
the illands without us : our latitude by obfervation was 23 : 7 
S. : the main land here is high and mountainous ; the illands 
which lie off - it are alfo moll of them high, and of a fmali 
circuit, having an appearance rather of barrennefs than ferti- 
lity.- At this time we faw fmoke in many places, at a con- 
flderable diftance inland, and therefore conjedlured that there 
might be a lagoon, river, or inlet running up the country, 
the rather as we had palled two places which had the appear- 
ance of being fuch ; but our depth of water was too little to 
encourage me to venture where I Ihouid probably have lefs.- We 
had not flood to the northward above an hour, before we hid- 
den ly fell into three fathom ; upon which I anchored, and 
