At midnight the land was seen from North-East to South-East and at daylight it was visible between Point Pearce, bearing South-South-East, and a point five or six miles south of Cape Hay which bore North-East by East.  The coast is sandy; behind it there appeared a good deal of small stunted timber, and beyond this the range of Mount Goodwin was visible.  Round Point Pearce the land trends in a South 59 1/2 degrees East direction and forms a very deep indenture:  on approaching this point we observed an extensive dry reef and breakers projecting from it to a considerable distance.  No land was seen to the southward of south-east, but the hazy state of the weather prevented our seeing far, especially land which is so low as to be scarcely distinguishable beyond the distance of three or four leagues.  As we approached Point Pearce the soundings were very irregular and generally upon a rocky bottom.  We passed many ripplings occasioned by the tide setting round the point and meeting the other tide from the southward.  As these eddies were driving us towards the shore we steered off south-west.  At six o’clock p.m.  Point Pearce bore North 65 degrees East eleven miles, and in a line with the hills about Mount Goodwin.  Between this time and noon the soundings were between nine and thirty-two fathoms, upon a rocky bottom.

At sunset we were in fourteen fathoms, and during the night continued sounding on a rocky bottom between ten and fourteen fathoms.

September 11.

At daylight of the 11th no land was in sight, we therefore stood to the southward to make it but were obliged to tack off without seeing any, as we shoaled rather suddenly to five fathoms.  We then stood to the north-east, close to a fresh land wind from the East-South-East, which brought with it a very unpleasant warmth.  As we approached Point Pearce, the land of which, at nine o’clock, came in sight, the water deepened to fifteen and eighteen fathoms.  At half-past ten o’clock we were within three miles of the point; when the wind died away, and from the ebbing tide we very soon lost what we had gained during the morning; for there was no anchoring ground fit to trust our only remaining anchor upon.  At noon we were about ten miles south-west from Point Pearce.  The wind then springing up from the south, sail was set, but the tide being adverse, very little better than a north-east course was made good.  Soon after sunset, being three or four miles to the South-South-West of Point Pearce, we tacked to the southward with the intention of steering on to make what progress we could during the night.

The attempt was hazardous, as we were strangers to the part; but if some little risk was not run we had no chance of penetrating.  From fifteen fathoms we deepened to twenty-one, but as quickly shoaled again to fifteen, and then suddenly to seven fathoms, hard sand.

The cutter was then put about and we steered off North-West for six miles and passed through several ripplings, occasioned by the tide flowing with rapidity over a rocky and irregular bottom.  After running the above distance we again hauled to the wind, but had hardly trimmed sails before we again suddenly shoaled from sixteen to seven fathoms.  This was too dangerous to persist in, and I gave up the attempt of venturing forward during the night.