131 deg. 27’; but I think there is an error at least in the latitude, for the admiral says, “At daybreak I steered to get in with the land; and the wind having returned to south-east, we hauled our starbord tacks on board, being then four or five leagues from the coast.  At eleven o’clock the land was seen ahead and we veered ship in 32 fathoms, fine sand."* The latitude observed at noon, as appears by the route table, was 31 deg. 38’ 58”; and if we suppose the ship, lying up south-south-west, to have made 2’ of southing in the hour, as marked in the chart, she must have been in 31 deg. 37’ at eleven o’clock; which is within one mile of the latitude assigned to the head of the bight, where the shore curves to the south-east-by-east.  This does not accord with the land being only then seen ahead, since the weather appears to have admitted the sight of it at the distance of four or five leagues.  If we suppose the admiral, when he veered, to have been eight, instead of one mile from the head of the Great Bight, and the account strongly favours the supposition, it will then agree with my latitude.  I had only 27 fathoms in crossing the head, and although it is possible there may be 30 closer in, yet in such a place as this the probability is, that the ship having the greatest depth of water was the furthest from the land.

[* Voyage de D’Entrecasteaux, par M. de Rossel, Tome I. page 220.  The 32 fathoms are, I believe, of five French feet each, making very nearly 30 fathoms English measure.]

After steering east-north-east, east, and east-south-east, and having seen the beach all round the head of the Great Bight, we hauled up parallel to the new direction of the coast, at the distance of six miles; and at five o’clock were abreast of the furthest part seen by the French admiral when he quitted the examination.  The coast is a sandy beach in front; but the land rises gradually from thence, and at three or four miles back is of moderate elevation, but still sandy and barren.  According to the chart of Nuyts, an extensive reef lay a little beyond this part. (Atlas, Plate IV.) It was not seen by D’Entrecasteaux, but we were anxiously looking out for it when, at six o’clock, breakers were seen from the mast head bearing S. 43 deg.  E. some distance open from the land.  We kept on our course for them, with the wind at south-south-west, until eight o’clock, and then tacked to the westward in 27 fathoms; and the ship’s way being stopped by a head swell, we did not veer towards the land until three in the morning, at which time it fell calm.

THURSDAY 28 JANUARY 1802

On a light breeze springing up from the northward we steered in for the coast; and at noon were in the following situation: 

Latitude, observed to the north, 32 deg. 21/2’
Longitude reduced up from eight o’clock, 131 51
Breakers, distant two or three miles, N. 22 to 42 E.
A sandy projection of the coast, south part, N. 37 E.
Extremes of the land from the deck, N. 15 W. to 89 E.