rsons.

We sailed from Sydney-Cove at seven o'clock in the morning,
with a fine breeze at west-south-west, and at eight, we got out
of the harbour, when we found it blew very fresh, and as we got
off the land it came on to blow a perfect hurricane, with a most
tremendous sea running, which often broke into the vessel: the
gale kept up with great violence, as did the sea during the whole
day, and I often thought the vessel in a critical situation.

At two o'clock in the morning, the wind veered round to
south-by-west, and moderated, but a heavy sea was still running.
At noon, the latitude was 32 deg. 22' south, 154 deg. 11' east
longitude. In the evening, a flying-fish flew on board, which is
rather an extraordinary event in this latitude. At day-break in
the morning of the 18th, land was discovered bearing
east-south-east; and, from its appearance, we judged it to be two
small rocks or islands, not more than six leagues distant. At the
time we first saw the land, we were standing to the northward,
with the wind at east-south-east: at eight in the morning, we
tacked towards the land, but the wind being light during the
whole day, our progress was very slow.

Early the next morning, having neared the land considerably,
we perceived a pointed rock right a-head, at some distance from
the island; on which, we hove to, and soundings were tried for
with 120 fathoms of line, but we got no bottom. At day-light we
made sail, and perceived that the two islands or hills we had
seen the day before, were two very high rocky mountains, on the
south side of an island, extending from north 37 deg. east, to
north 55 deg. east. This side of the island formed a deep bay, in
which there appeared to be good shelter from the north-east. At
noon, we had a very good meridian altitude, by which the latitude
was 31 deg. 40' south, and the center of the island bore north
40 deg. west, distant about six miles; consequently, its latitude
is 31 deg. 35' south, and the longitude 159 deg. east of
Greenwich.

The form of the island is a crescent, and it is very small in
proportion to the two stupendous rocky mountains which rise at
its southern extremity. One of the rocks rises perpendicularly
from the sea, and has the appearance of a regular pyramid, when
seen from the westward: we sailed from it in a direct course 22
leagues, and could then see it very plainly. Lieutenant Ball, who
was certainly the discoverer of this island, has named its poin