ues a-head. This night the aurora austreales were very
bright, of a beautiful crimson colour, streaked with orange,
yellow, and white, and these colours were constantly changing
their places: the highest part was about 45 deg. above the
horizon, and it spread from south by east to south-south-west. On
the next morning at sun-rise, one of the transports having pushed
a little a-head, made the signal for seeing the land, in which,
however, she was mistaken: we at this time judged ourselves not
less than 33 or 34 leagues from it, deducing our distance from
the last lunar observation.

It may not be improper, before I proceed farther, to observe
of the compass, that its westerly variation decreased from the
longitude of 54 deg. 30' east, where it was greatest, (viz.
32 deg. 10' west,) to longitude 135 deg. 30' east, where it was
1 deg. 00' east.

We continued steering in for the land, and the weather being
cloudy, in order to make sure of our latitude, which, in our
present situation, was of consequence, we took two altitudes
before noon, by which we were in 44 deg. 05' south, which being
seventeen miles to the southward of the rock, called the
Mewstone, we hauled from east-north-east to north-east, and at
three P.M. of the 8th, (by log,) we made the land in that
direction, stood well in with the Mewstone, and, as the wind was
fresh from the westward, I would have gone within it, and ranged
along the coast from point to point; but having a convoy of
transports and store-ships astern, who were to be led by the
Sirius, I was apprehensive, in case it fell little wind under the
land, and night set in, an accident might have happened to some
of those ships, which all the knowledge I could have gained, by a
nearer examination of the coast, would not have compensated: I
therefore stood on without the Mewstone, and steered in for the
south cape, which we passed at three miles distance, leaving the
rocks Swilly and Eddistone without us. The south cape terminates
in a low rocky point, and appears to be a bold shore, and the
hills within it, which are moderately high, appear to have many
tall trees upon them, which are very streight, and seem to have
no branches, except near the top; from which circumstance, I
suppose them to be the palm or cabbage tree.

To the eastward of the south cape, between that and the next
point of land, which is called Tasman's-head, is a large bay, at
the bottom of which there appears to be an island