farther demonstrate the perils of this
navigation; and the loss of the two vessels of Captain Flinders, sent by
the English government to compete with us, will but too clearly furnish
a new and lamentable evidence. The circumstance of Cook's escape, we
see, is allowed its due impression on the mind of this gentleman. It is
very probable that had Dr Hawkesworth himself ever been in such critical
perils, and experienced any thing like such a remarkable deliverance,
the placidity of his principles would have given way to more lively
emotions. The deductions of reason, it is certain, are not unusually at
variance with the instantaneous, but perhaps more real and genuine
productions of our feelings, which it is the cant of modern days to
denominate the lower parts of our constitution.--E.]

The north-east entrance of this passage or streight lies in the latitude
of 10 deg. 39' S., and in the longitude of 218 deg. 36' W. It is formed by the
main, or the northern extremity of New Holland, on the S.E., and by a
congeries of islands, which I called the _Prince of Wales's Islands_, to
the N.W., and it is probable that these islands extend quite to New
Guinea. They differ very much both in height and circuit, and many of
them seemed to be well clothed with herbage and wood: Upon most, if not
all of them, we saw smoke, and therefore there can be no doubt of their
being inhabited: It is also probable, that among them there are at least
as good passages as that we came through, perhaps better, though better
would not need to be desired, if the access to it from the eastward were
less dangerous: That a less dangerous access may be discovered, I think
there is little reason to doubt, and to find it, little more seems to be
necessary than to determine how far the principal, or outer reef, which
bounds the shoals to the eastward, extends towards the north, which I
would not have left to future navigators if I had been less harassed by
danger and fatigue, and had had a ship in better condition for the
purpose.

To this channel, or passage, I have given the name of the ship, and
called it _Endeavour Streights_. Its length from N.E. to S.W. is ten
leagues, and it is about five leagues broad, except at the north-east
entrance, where it is somewhat less than two miles, being contracted by
the islands which lie there. That which I called Possession Island is of
a moderate height and circuit, and this we left between us and the main,
passing