exiled to a small island within the bay, where they were kept on bread and water.  These men had frequently robbed the stores, and the other convicts.  He who suffered, and two others, had been detected in stealing from the stores the very day that they had received a week’s provision; at a time when their allowance, as settled by the Navy Board, was the same as that of the soldiers, spirituous liquors excepted.  So inveterate were their habits of dishonesty, that even the apparent want of a motive could not repress them.

2 March 1788

On the 2d of March Governor Phillip went with a long boat and cutter to examine the broken land, mentioned by Captain Cook, about eight miles to the northward of Port Jackson, and by him named Broken Bay.  This bay proved to be very extensive.  The first night they slept in the boats, within a rocky point in the north-west part of the bay, as the natives, though friendly, appeared to be numerous; and the next day, after passing a bar that had only water for small vessels, they entered a very extensive branch, from which the ebb tide came out so strong that the boats could not row against it in the stream; and here was deep water.  This opening appeared to end in several small branches, and in a large lagoon which could not then be examined, as there was not time to seek a channel for the boats among the banks of sand and mud.  Most of the land in the upper part of this branch was low and full of swamps.  Pelicans and various other birds were here seen in great numbers.  Among the rest an uncommon kind, called then the Hooded Gull, and supposed to be a non descript; but it appears from a drawing sent to England, a plate from which is here inserted, to be of that species called by Mr. Latham the Caspian Tern, and is described by him as the second variety of that species.*

[* Latham’s Synopsis of Birds, vol. vi. p. 351.]

Leaving this north-west branch they proceeded across the bay, and went into the south-west branch.  This is also very extensive; and from it runs a second opening to the westward, affording shelter for almost any number of ships.  In this part, as far as could then be examined, there is water for vessels of the greatest burthen, the soundings being at the entrance seven fathoms, and in going up still more.  Continual rains prevented them from taking a survey.  The land here was found much higher than at Port Jackson, more rocky, and equally covered with timber.  Large trees were seen growing even on the summits of the mountains, which appeared accessible only to birds.  Immediately round the headland that forms the southern entrance into the bay, there is a third branch, which Governor Phillip thought the finest piece of water he had ever seen; and which therefore he thought worthy to be honoured with the name of Pitt Water.  This, as well as the south-west branch, is of sufficient extent to contain all the navy of Great Britain.  But on a narrow bar which runs across the entrance it has only eighteen feet depth at low water.  Within the bar there are from seven to fifteen fathoms.  The land is not so high in this part as in the south-west branch, and there are some good situations where the land might be cultivated.  Small springs of water were seen in most of the coves, and three cascades falling from heights, which the rains at that time rendered inaccessible.