Whilst our people were thus employed I was assisted by Mr. Roe at the observatory.  As the particulars of our observations for this and the preceding years are inserted in the Appendix it will be sufficient here merely to record the position of the observatory; it was situated on the south shore opposite the low sandy north point; and was found to be in: 

Latitude:  15 degrees 27 minutes 4 seconds. 
Longitude:  145 degrees 10 minutes 49 seconds. 
Variation of the compass:  5 degrees 13 3/4 minutes East. 
Dip of the south end of the Needle:  38 degrees. 
High water at full and change:  at eight o’clock.

July 29.

On the 29th Mr. Bedwell went to Captain Cook’s Turtle Reef but he was unsuccessful in his search for that animal; neither did he find any shells different from what we had previously seen; only a few clams (Chama gigas) were brought away, besides a small fish of the shark tribe (Squalus ocellatus, Linn.).  At high water the reef was overflowed excepting at its north-west end where a patch of sand not larger than the boat was left dry.  At low tide the key, or the ridge of rocks heaped up round the edge of the reef, was left dry and formed a barricade for the interior, which is occupied by a shallow lake of circular shape in which many small fish and some sharks were seen swimming about.  It was from this reef that Captain Cook, during the repair of his ship, procured turtle for her crew; and, this being the same season, we were disappointed in not obtaining any.  On the return of the boat she was placed in some danger from the number of whales, of the fin-back species, that were sporting about the surface of the water and occasionally leaping out of it and lashing the sea with their enormous fins.

July 30.

On the 30th, having hitherto carried on our occupation without seeing or hearing anything of the natives, whilst I was busily employed with Mr. Roe in observing the sun’s meridional altitude, I happened on looking round to espy five natives standing about forty or fifty yards off among the high grass watching our movements.  As soon as they perceived we had discovered them they began to repeat the word itchew (friend) and to pat their breasts, thereby intimating that their visit had no hostile motive.  As the sun was rapidly approaching its meridian I called Mr. Bedwell from on board to amuse them until our observations were completed.  The only weapons they appeared to carry were throwing-sticks, which we easily obtained in exchange for some grains of Indian corn.

A few words were obtained by Mr. Cunningham which served to confirm many we had possessed ourselves of last year; and which, being afterwards compared with the vocabulary of the New South Wales language given by Captain Cook, proves that he obtained it at Endeavour River.  And here it is not a little curious to remark that, of the only two words which materially differ in the two accounts, one of them