west three leagues, and a mountainous island with a flat top, north by
west four or five leagues, between which and the mainland were several
other islands. The spot we were at, which I call Turtle Island, lies in
latitude by account 10 degrees 52 minutes south and 42 miles west from
Restoration Island. Abreast of it the coast has the appearance of a sandy
desert, but improves about three leagues farther to the northward where
it terminates in a point, near to which are many small islands. I sailed
between these islands where I found no bottom at twelve fathoms; the high
mountainous island with a flat top and four rocks to the south-east of
it, that I call the Brothers, being on my starboard hand. Soon after an
extensive opening appeared in the mainland, in which were a number of
high islands. I called this the Bay of Islands. We continued steering to
the north-west. Several islands and keys were in sight to the northward:
the most northerly island was mountainous, having on it a very high round
hill, and a smaller was remarkable for a single peaked hill.

The coast to the northward and westward of the Bay of Islands is high and
woody and has a broken appearance, with many islands close to it, among
which there are fine bays and convenient places for shipping. The
northernmost of these islands I call Wednesday Island: to the north-west
of this we fell in with a large reef which I believe joins a number of
keys that were in sight from the north-west to the east-north-east. We
therefore stood to the south-west half a league when it was noon, and I
had a good observation of the latitude in 10 degrees 31 minutes south.
Wednesday Island bore east by south five miles; the westernmost land in
sight south-west two or three leagues; the islands to the northward from
north-west by west to north-east, and the reef from west to north-east
distant one mile. I was now tolerably certain that we should be clear of
New Holland in the afternoon.

I know not how far this reef extends. It may be a continuation or a
detached part of the range of shoals that surround the coast. I believe
the mountainous islands to be separate from the shoals, and have no doubt
that near them may be found good passages for ships. But I rather
recommend to those who are to pass this strait from the eastward to take
their direction from the coast of New Guinea: yet I likewise think that a
ship coming from the southward will find a fair strait in the latitude of