n before. Their
canoes were large and well-built, and adorned with carving, in as good a
taste as any we had seen upon the coast.

We continued to stand along the shore till night, with the main land on
one side, and islands on the other, and then anchored in a bay, with
fourteen fathom, and a sandy bottom. We had no sooner come to an anchor,
than we tried our lines, and in a short time caught near one hundred
fish, which the people called sea-bream; they weighed from six to eight
pounds a piece, and consequently would supply the whole ship's company
with food for two days. From the success of our lines here, we called
the place _Bream Bay_: The two points that form it lie north and south,
five leagues from each other; it is every where of a good breadth, and
between three and four leagues deep: At the bottom of it there appears
to be a river of fresh water. The north head of the bay, called _Bream
Head_, is high land, and remarkable for several pointed rocks, which
stand in a range upon the top of it: It may also be known by some small
islands which lie before it, called the _Hen and Chickens_, one of which
is high, and terminates in two peaks. It lies in latitude 35 deg.46' S., and
at the distance of seventeen leagues and a half from Cape Colville, in
the direction of N. 41 W.

The land between Point Rodney and Bream Head, an extent of ten leagues,
is low, and wooded in tufts, with white sand-banks between the sea and
the firm lands. We saw no inhabitants, but many fires in the night; and
where there are fires there are always people.

At day break, on the 25th, we left the bay, and steered along the shore
to the northward: We found the variation of the compass to be 12 deg. 49' E.
At noon, our latitude was 35 deg. 36' S., Bream Head bore south, distant ten
miles; and we saw some small islands, to which I gave the name of the
_Poor Knights_, at N.E. by N. distant three leagues; the northernmost
land in sight bore N.N.W.: We were in this place at the distance of two
miles from the shore, and had twenty-six fathom water.

The country appeared low; but well covered with wood: We saw some
straggling houses, three or four fortified towns, and near them a large
quantity of cultivated land.

In the evening, seven large canoes came off to us, with about two
hundred men: Some of them came on board, and said that they had heard of
us. To two of them, who appeared to be chiefs, I gave presents; but when
these were gone out