eight miles, and we had no more than 3½ fathoms near some dry banks and
breakers, which extend out three miles from two shallow inlets in the
coast. At dusk the anchor was let go in 6½ fathoms, mud and sand; the
shallow inlets to the south being distant 6 miles, and the sloping
hummock bearing S. 17° E. In captain Cook's chart, the width of Hervey's
Bay is fifty-nine miles, which had appeared to me too great when here in
the Norfolk; and I now made the distance, from the north-west extremity
of Sandy Cape to a low point running out from the hummock, to be forty
three miles by the _time keepers_. Such errors as this are almost
unavoidable without the aid of these instruments, when sailing either
along a coast which lies nearly on the same parallel, or where no land is
in sight to correct the longitude by bearings. From Port Jackson to Sandy
Cape, captain Cook's positions had been found to differ from mine, not
more than from 10' east to 7' west; which must be considered a great
degree of accuracy, considering the expeditious manner in which he sailed
along the coast, and that there were no time keepers on board the
Endeavour; but from Sandy Cape northward, where the direction of the
coast has a good deal of westing in it, greater differences began to show
themselves.

[EAST COAST. NEAR BUSTARD BAY.]

There was a little tide running past the ship in the first part of the
night from N. N. W., which appeared to be the flood setting into Hervey's
Bay. At daybreak [MONDAY 2 AUGUST 1802] we pursued our course along the
shore, at the distance of four or five miles, in soundings between 5 and
9 fathoms. The coast was low, but not sandy; and behind it was a range of
hills extending north-westward, and like the flat country, was not ill
clothed with wood. There was no remarkable projection till we came to the
south head of Bustard Bay; and the night being then at hand, we ran in