for laying a ship down, where, at spring-tides, the water does not rise less than sixteen or eighteen feet.  The tide flows at the full and change of the moon about 11 o’clock.  I have already observed that here is no fresh water, nor could we procure refreshment of any other kind.  We saw two turtles, but we were not able to take either of them; neither did we catch either fish or wild-fowl, except a few small land-birds:  We saw indeed the same sorts of water-fowl as in Botany Bay, but they were so shy that we could not get a shot at them.

As I had not therefore a single inducement to stay longer in this place, I weighed anchor at six o’clock in the morning of Thursday the 31st of May, and put to sea.  We stood to the N.W. with a fresh breeze at S.S.E. and kept without the group of islands that lie in shore, and to the N.W. of Thirsty Sound, as there appeared to be no safe passage between them and the main:  At the same time we had a number of islands without us, extending as far as we could see:  During our run in this direction our depth of water was ten, eight, and nine fathom.  At noon, the west point of Thirsty Sound, which I have called Pier Head, bore S. 36 E. distant five leagues; the east point of the other inlet, which communicates with the sound, bore S. by W. distant two leagues; the group of islands just mentioned lay between us and the point, and the farthest part of the main in sight, on the other side of the inlet, bore N.W.  Our latitude by observation was 21 deg. 53’.  At half an hour after twelve, the boat, which was sounding a-head, made the signal for shoal water, and we immediately hauled our wind to the N.E.  At this time we had seven fathom, at the next cast five, and at the next three, upon which we instantly dropped an anchor that brought the ship up.  Pier Head, the north-west point of Thirsty Sound, bore S.E. distant six leagues, being half-way between the islands which lie off the east point of the western inlet, and three small islands which lie directly without them.  It was now the first of the flood, which we found to set N.W. by W. 1/2 W.; and having sounded about the shoal, upon which we had three fathom, and found deep water all round it, we got under sail, and having hauled round the three islands that have been just mentioned, came to an anchor under the lee of them, in fifteen fathom water; and the weather being dark, hazy, and rainy, we remained there till seven o’clock in the morning.  At this time we got again under sail, and stood to the N.W. with a fresh breeze at S.S.E.; having the main land in sight, and a number of islands all round us, some of which lay out at sea as far as the eye could reach.  The western inlet, which in the chart is distinguished by the name of Broad Sound, we had now all open; at the entrance, it is at least nine or ten leagues wide:  In it, and before it, lie several islands, and probably shoals also; for our soundings were very irregular, varying suddenly from ten to four fathom.  At noon, our latitude