the intention of passing through Torres' Strait, by a route which the
commanders did not know to have been before attempted. June 20, 1793, in
the evening, being in latitude 10° 24' south, and longitude 144° 14' east
(by captain Bampton's chart), a dry reef was seen extending from W. ½ S.
to N. W. by W., distant four or five miles, and breakers from the mast
head at N. by E. ½ E. An island (Murray's), which appeared to be large
and woody, was also seen, and bore N. W. ½ W. The ships got ground in 60
fathoms, and hauled the wind to the eastward, till midnight; when, having
no bottom at 70 fathoms, they lay to, till morning.

June 21. The Hormuzeer's long boat was sent ahead; and, at ten o'clock,
the ships bore away northward. At noon, the latitude was 9° 30'. The
course was altered, at three, to the north-west; and at dusk, they hove
to, for the night: soundings from 70 to 56 fathoms. The same course being
resumed on the 22nd, the latitude, at noon, was 8° 48'; and the depth 30
fathoms, on a bottom of sand, mud, and shells. From noon to five p.m.,
when they anchored, the ships appear to have steered W. by S. The land
had been seen at one o'clock; and at two, the water had shoaled suddenly,
from 30 to 10 fathoms, and afterwards diminished to 5, which continued to
the place of anchorage. The land was part of the coast of NEW GUINEA; and
the extremes were set at W. by N. ½ N. and N. W. ½ N., six or seven
leagues, (in the chart, miles.) The flood tide here, set two miles per
hour, towards the land; and the rise, by the lead line, was nine feet.

June 23. The ships got under way with the weather, or ebb, tide, a little
before noon: latitude 8° 52'. At four o'clock, the wind blew strong at
south-east, with thick weather, and they anchored in 9 fathoms, blue mud;
having made a course of E. N. E. nearly parallel to the coast. They
remained here till the next afternoon; when the Hormuzeer having parted
her cable, both ships stood to the north-eastward, along the land, until