In the middle of this month, Lieutenant King of the Sirius, a
master's mate, and surgeon's mate, with four other men from the
ship, together with a few men and women convicts, embarked on
board the Supply armed tender, and she sailed with them for
Norfolk Island. In the passage thither, they fell in with a small
island which had not before been discovered; it lies in latitude
31° 36' south, and about 140 leagues to the eastward of this
coast; lieutenant Ball named it Lord Howe's Island. After having
landed the party intended to remain on Norfolk Island, with their
provisions and stores, Mr. Ball, in his return to Port Jackson,
called at Lord Howe's Island, in order to examine it more
particularly. He found anchorage on the west side of it, but the
bottom was coral rock. He landed, with his boat, within a reef,
and caught a number of excellent turtle upon a sandy beach: this
island also abounded with a variety of birds, which were so
unaccustomed to being disturbed, that the seamen came near enough
to knock down as many as they wanted with sticks.

In March, the weather was variable, sometimes strong gales
from the southward and south-east, with moist and hazy weather; a
great sea rolling in upon the coast. This month the marines were
ordered to clear ground and begin to build huts and barracks for
the winter; the convicts were also directed to employ certain
hours in the same necessary work for themselves. The mornings and
evenings were now rather cold; the thermometer from 60° to
75°.

In the month of April the weather was much the same as in
March; rather variable; a few days of cloudy weather with rain,
which generally fell in the night, and southerly and south-east