Sep 1, 1792 Home Providence Log Sep 3, 1792
Revised Aug 27 2021
1 pm: Fresh Breezes and fine Weather Boobies and Noddies about the Ship.
4 pm: Edging away round the North end of the Shole bearly discernable from the Mast Head.
6 pm: The Breakers seen from the Mast head bearing South 3 Leagues. Spoke the Assistant, and at 7 OClock hauled the Wind.
10 pm: Tacked Ship per Signal
12 mid: Tacked per Signal
2 am: Tacked per Signal
4 am: Tacked per Signal and as we got round saw the breakers bearing South 2 Miles
6 am: Bore away. The Breakers seen from the Mast Head bearing south 7 or 8 Miles
8 am: Fresh Breezes and fine Weather with haze. The Breakers just discernable from the Mast Head from SbE to SEbS
10 am: Cleaned and Muster the Ship's Company. Read the Articles of War &c. Performed Divine Service.
12 noon: Fresh Gale and fine Weather with Haze. Assistant made the Signal for breakers, and to steer between the South & West. Saw them from the Mast Head bearing West about 3 Leagues distant. Past a Tree with many Barnacles on it.
Towards Evening we saw the termination of the Breakers to the Northward, but as we had every reason to suppose the Sea full of dangers from the many Noddies and Boobies about us, I ordered Lieut. Portlock to keep on a Wind for the Night.
At 4 in the Morning when we supposed ourselves at least 6 Miles from the Shoal, we were only two, apparently set to the Southward by a Stream of a Tide.
As soon as we could see about us we bore away with a clear Sea to all appearance, but at Noon we were obliged to haul the Wind to the Southward. Many Boobies and Noddies and a White kind of Gull were now about, and a large Trunk of a Tree was near us, but this had been a long time in the Water for it was covered with Barnacles.
The Breakers we saw were tremendous, and the Wind being now encreased to a fresh Gale the Sea began to make. The Assistant on the look out made the Signal to steer to the Southward, we therefore under Double Reefs kept close to the Wind, for I conceived we could be but a few Leagues from the South part of New Guinea in this Meridian, and we saw the Breakers bearing West.
The Horizon is very hazy, and should the Coast be low, accounts for our not seeing it, but at Noon I do not think we could see land of a good height above 5 Leagues. Perhaps, and I think it likely, the South part of the Coast may extend full as far to the South as we are, it may do more, or it may tend to the Northward, and the Shoals we have seen may be a barrier of Reefs round the Coast, which we must now beat our way through as well as we can. Had I a Month to spare it would be of no consequence to the Plants.
The North part of the Shoals lie nearly East and West 40 Miles, in the Latitude of 9°..26′ South and the NE part lies in 144°..54′E by Time Keepers.
Sep 1, 1792 Home Providence Log Sep 3, 1792