There being little wind at this time, the sloop, in passing round the rocky islets of Cape Portland, was carried by the tide over a ledge where there was scarcely 2 fathoms; and was then driven westward on a curved line of rippling water, which extended northward from the islets as far as the eye could reach.  We passed over the rippling in 9 fathoms; and the wind being entirely gone, were then carried to the south-west.

Soon after four o’clock, the ebb appeared to be making; and the anchor was dropped in 11 fathoms, sandy bottom, about one mile west of Cape Portland.  The shore on this side of the cape trends south, in rocky heads and beaches, and afterwards curves westward, forming an extensive bay, which terminates in a point.  To this the name of Point Waterhouse was given, in honour of the commander of the Reliance, and an island, whose top is level and moderately high, lying off the point, was named ISLE WATERHOUSE.

The bottom of the large bay is sandy, and the hills of Cape Portland there retiring further back, permitted a view of the inland mountains, of which there was a high and extensive ridge.  Mountains like these are usually the parents of rivers; and the direction of the ebb tide, which came from between S.W. by S. and S.W. by W. at the rate of two-and-a-half miles an hour, gave hopes of finding some considerable inlet in the bay, and increased our anxiety for a fair breeze.

A set of distances of the sun east of the moon, a meridian altitude of the planet Mars, and a western amplitude of the sun were taken at this anchorage, the results of which, with the bearings of the land, were as under: 

deg. ’ Latitude observed, 40 44 S. Longitude from lunar distances corrected, 147 56 E. Variation of the compass (the sloop’s head being S.W.) 12 30 E. C. Barren peak, over the outer islets of C. Portland, N. 47 E. Mount Chappell, North.  Isle Waterhouse, centre, dist. 5 or 6 leagues, S. 71 W. Point Waterhouse.  S. 61 W. Ridge of inland mountains, South to S. 42 W. Highest part of ditto, a round top, S. 19 W.

The flood tide ceased to run at three quarters past three in the morning, or about nine hours after the moon passed over the meridian.

Nov. 2.  A light breeze having sprung up from the eastward we steered for the bottom of the bay, and at noon the nearest part of the beach was distant only two miles.

deg. ’
Observed latitude, 40 493/4 S.
C. Portland, with the outer islets behind, N. 27 E.
Isle Waterhouse, extremes, N. 78 deg. to 89 W.
Point Waterhouse, S. 881/2 W.

We stood on another mile, and then bore away westward, following the round of the shore, but no inlet could be perceived.  At three o’clock, we had passed Point Waterhouse, and seeing a fair channel of about two miles wide between it and the island, steered through, S.W. by W.