and we immediately
hauled our wind to the N.E. At this time we had seven fathom, at the
next cast five, and at the next three, upon which we instantly dropped
an anchor that brought the ship up. Pier Head, the north-west point of
Thirsty Sound, bore S.E. distant six leagues, being half-way between the
islands which lie off the east point of the western inlet, and three
small islands which lie directly without them. It was now the first of
the flood, which we found to set N.W. by W. 1/2 W.; and having sounded
about the shoal, upon which we had three fathom, and found deep water
all round it, we got under sail, and having hauled round the three
islands that have been just mentioned, came to an anchor under the lee
of them, in fifteen fathom water; and the weather being dark, hazy, and
rainy, we remained there till seven o'clock in the morning. At this time
we got again under sail, and stood to the N.W. with a fresh breeze at
S.S.E.; having the main land in sight, and a number of islands all round
us, some of which lay out at sea as far as the eye could reach. The
western inlet, which in the chart is distinguished by the name of Broad
Sound, we had now all open; at the entrance, it is at least nine or ten
leagues wide: In it, and before it, lie several islands, and probably
shoals also; for our soundings were very irregular, varying suddenly
from ten to four fathom. At noon, our latitude by observation was 21 deg.
29' S., a point of land which forms the north-west entrance into Broad
Sound, and which I named _Cape Palmerston_, lying in latitude 21 deg. 30',
longitude 210 deg. 54' W. bore W. by N. distant three leagues. Our latitude
was 21 deg. 27', our longitude 210 deg. 57'. Between this Cape and Cape
Townshend lies the bay which I called the _Bay of Inlets_. We continued
to stand to the N.W. and N.W. by N. as the land lay, under an easy sail,
having a boat a-head to sound: At first the soundings were very
irregular, from nine to four fathom; but afterwards they were regular,
from nine to eleven. At eight in the evening, being about two leagues
from the main land, we anchored in eleven fathom, with a sandy bottom,
and soon after we found the tide setting with a slow motion to the
westward. At one o'clock it was slack, or low water; and at half an hour
after two the ship tended to the eastward, and rode so till six in the
morning, when the tide had risen eleven feet. We now got under sail, and
stood away in the direction of