The seabreeze this
day was not so strong as the day before, and it veered out more; so that
we had a fair wind to run in with to the shore, and at sunset anchored in
20 fathom, clean sand, about 5 leagues from the bluff point; which was
not a cape (as it appeared at a great distance) but the easternmost end
of an island, about 5 or 6 leagues in length and 1 in breadth. There were
3 or 4 rocky islands about a league from us between us and the bluff
point; and we saw many other islands both to the east and west of it, as
far as we could see either way from our topmast-head: and all within them
to the south there was nothing but islands of a pretty height, that may
be seen 8 or 9 leagues off. By what we saw of them they must have been a
range of islands of about 20 leagues in length, stretching from
east-north-east to west-south-west and, for ought I know, as far as to
those of Shark's Bay; and to a considerable breadth also (for we could
see 9 or 10 leagues in among them) towards the continent or mainland of
New Holland, if there be any such thing hereabouts: and, by the great
tides I met with a while afterwards, more to the north-east, I had a
strong suspicion that here might be a kind of archipelago of islands and
a passage possibly to the south of New Holland and New Guinea into the
great South Sea eastward; which I had thoughts also of attempting in my
return from New Guinea (had circumstances permitted) and told my officers
so: but I would not attempt it at this time because we wanted water and
could not depend upon finding it there.
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