In steering W. by N., rippling water was seen ahead at one o’clock. and the depth diminishing to 4 fathoms, we hauled a little to the southward and then resumed our course.  This rippling seems to have been on a part of the same shoal near which captain Cook anchored in 3 fathoms; for it lies five miles from the North-point Isles, and as he says, “half way between them and three small islands which lie directly without them.”

[EAST COAST. BROAD SOUND.]

Our course for the west side of Broad Sound passed close to some low, flat isles, lying to the south-east of the peaked West Hill set from Pier Head.  At dusk I sought to anchor behind the hill, for it had the appearance of being separated from the main land; but the water being too shallow, we hauled off upon a wind.  At ten o’clock, however, the breeze having become light and the sea gone down, an anchor was dropped in 5 fathoms, sandy bottom; whence the top of West Hill bore N. 68 deg.  W. three miles.  A flood tide was found running from the N. N. E., one mile and a quarter per hour.

THURSDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 1802

In the morning I landed with the botanical gentlemen, and wished to ascend the top of the hill; but the brush wood was too thick to be penetrable.  Upon a projecting head on the north-east side, I took a part, and about half way up the hill on the south-east side, the remainder of a set of bearings, which included many of the Northumberland Isles not before seen, and other of the Flat Isles within Broad Sound.  The furthest visible part of the main land towards Cape Palmerston, was distant about five leagues, and behind it was a hill to which, from its form, I gave the name of Mount Funnel; the shore both to the north and south was low, and the Flat Isles to the southward of the ship were mostly over-run with mangroves.  I did not go round West Hill, and could not see whether it were connected with the main land, or not; but if joined, it must be by a very low isthmus.  The bearings at this station, most essential to the connection of the survey, were these: 

Main coast, the extremes, N. 1 deg. and S. 10 deg. 45’
E.
Pier Head, the top, S. 61 25
E.
Northumberland Isles, peak marked ‘h’, N. 61 45
E.
Northumberland Isles, high northmost marked ‘i’, dist. 11 L. N. 19 15
E.

The stone of the hill had in it specks of quartz or feldtspath, and was not much unlike that of Pier Head; but it had a more basaltic appearance.  A piece of it applied to the theodolite, drew the needle two degrees out of its direction, and yet the bearings did not show any great difference from the true variation; for an amplitude taken on board the ship by Mr. Flinders, when the head was N. N. E, gave 6 deg. 18’, or corrected to the meridian, 7 deg. 17’ east, and the variation on the eastern side of the hill was 8 deg. 15’, according to the back bearing of Pier Head.