1802.
March.
Sunday 7.
Stamford Hill, with 3° 57′ allowed, differed only 2′ from the back bearing with the allowance of 1° 39′; which is a nearer coincidence than I have generally been able to obtain.
At two in the afternoon the anchor was weighed, and leaving most of Sir Joseph Banks' Group to the right, we steered northward, following the direction of the main land. The coast is very low and commonly sandy, from Boston Bay to the furthest extreme seen from Kirkby Island; but a ridge of hills, commencing at North-side Hill in Port Lincoln, runs a few miles behind it. In latitude 34° 20′ this ridge approaches the water side, and in its course northward keeps nearly parallel, at the distance of two or three miles. It is moderately elevated, level, destitute of vegetation, and appeared to be granitic. At half past six, when we hauled off for the night, the shore was five or six miles distant; the furthest part bore N.N.E. ½ E., and a bluff inland mountain was set at N. 71° W., over the top of the front ridge.
The wind was moderate from the south-eastward; and at seven on the following morning,Monday 8. when the bluff inland mountain was bearing W. 2° N., we resumed our north-eastern course along the shore; which was distant seven miles, and had not changed its appearance. Towards noon the water shoaled to 6 fathoms, at three miles from a sandy beach; a lagoon was visible from the mast head, over the beach, and a small inlet, apparently connected with it, was perceived soon afterward. A few miles short of this, the ridge of hills turns suddenly from the shore, and sweeps round at the back of the lagoon, into which the waters running off the ridge appeared to be received. The corner hill, where the direction of the ridge is changed, was called Elbow Hill; and since losing sight of the bluff inland mount, it was the first distinguishable mark which had presented itself for the survey: it lies in latitude 33° 43′, and longitude 136° 42′. The coast there trends nearly east-by-north, and obliged us to haul close to the wind, in soundings of 7 to 9 fathoms.
We had then advanced more than twenty-five leagues to