TRANSCRIPTION
AT DAYBREAK ON the 8th [29 March] we proceeded on our way to visit the second bay to the NorthWest of the promontory. We had a slight breeze from South-East to East. The promontory lay East and the further point ‡ of the second bay § lay West. This bay seemed to us to form a much larger indentation than the English chart appears to indicate. Moreover, there is an infinite number of more or less sizeable coves inside it, formed by jutting points which, from their situation, could merit the term of cape. The land at either end of this second bay is a good height, but most of its coastline is low, interrupted here and there by hills that look like islands. The shores are formed of sand-dunes which appear as several white patches. A fairly considerable way inland one can see a long range of mountains. They are of medium height - at least, relatively to the distance at which we were. Nevertheless, they seemed well-wooded. They run from North-East to South-West.
At midday we observed the latitude of 38° 47' 19" and the longitude by our No. 35 was 142° 58' 4". There is no doubt that either this latitude (and the day before's, even) is incorrect or the English chart shows neither the position nor the configuration that the coast in this part should have. Without having gone as close in as the English appear to have done, we sailed along the shore at a distance of no more than a league and frequently less. This enabled us to see several reefs and islets not mentioned on their chart. We were even obliged to haul the wind in order to double some of them.
‡ Cape Patterson.
§ Venus Bay.
