On Tuesday May the first, the south point of the bay was named _Sutherland Point_, one of the seamen, of the name of Sutherland, having died that day, and been buried on shore. This day Messrs. Banks, Solander, the Captain and a few other gentlemen, went on shore, and left more presents in the huts, such as looking-glasses, combs, &c. but the former ones had not been taken away.--Making an excursion about the country, they found it agreeably variegated with wood and lawn. The trees being strait and tall, and without underwood, the country might be cultivated without cutting down one of them. The grass grows in large tufts, almost close to each other, and there is a great plenty of it. In this excursion they met with many places where the inhabitants had slept without shelter; but they saw only one man, who ran away the moment he beheld them. They left more presents, in their huts, and at their sleeping-places, in hopes of producing a friendly intercourse. They saw the dung of an animal which fed on grass, and traced the foot-steps of another, which had claws like a dog, and was probably about the size of a wolf: they discovered the track of a small animal, whose foot was like that of a pole-cat; and saw one animal alive, about the size of a rabbit. They found some wood which had been felled, and the bark stripped off by the natives; and saw several growing trees, in which steps had been cut, for the convenience of ascending them. The trees abounded with a vast variety of beautiful birds, among which were cockatoos, parroquets and loriquets, which flew in large flocks.
The second Lieutenant, Mr. Gore, having been with a boat to dredge for oysters, saw some Indians, who made signs for him to come on shore, which he declined. Having finished his business, he sent the boat away, and went by land with a Midshipman, to join the party that was getting water. In their way they met with more than twenty of the natives, who followed them so close, as to come within a few yards of them. Mr. Gore stopped and faced them; on which the Indians stopped also, and when he proceeded again they followed him; but they did not attack him, though they had each man his lance. The Indians coming in sight of the Waterers, stood still at the distance of a quarter of a mile, while Mr. Gore and his companion reached their shipmates in safety. Two or three of the Waterers now advanced towards the Indians; but observing they did not retire, they very imprudently turned about, and retreated hastily; this apparent cowardice inspirited the savages, who discharged four lances at the fugitives, which flying beyond them, they escaped unhurt. They now stopped to pick up the lances, on which the Indians retired in their turn. At this instant the Captain came up, with Messrs. Banks, Solander, and Tupia; and advancing, made signs of friendship; but the poor natives would not wait their coming up to them.
On the following day they again went on shore, where many plants were collected by Dr. Solander and Mr. Banks. They saw several parties of the Indians, who all ran away on their approach. Tupia having learnt to shoot, frequently strayed alone to shoot parrots; and the Indians constantly fled from him with as much precipitation as from the English. On the 3d of May, fourteen or fifteen Indians, in the same number of canoes, were engaged in striking fish within half a mile of the watering-place. At this time a party of the ship’s crew were shooting near the fishermen, one of whom Mr. Banks observed to haul up his canoe on the beach, and approach the people who were shooting. He watched their motions, unobserved by them, for more than a quarter of an hour, then put off his boat, and returned to his fishing.
At this time the Captain, with Dr. Solander and another gentleman, went to the head of the bay to try to form some connexion with the Indians. On their first landing they found several Indians on shore, who immediately retreated to their canoes, and rowed off. They went up the country, where they found the soil to be a deep black mould, which appeared to be calculated for the production of any kind of grain. They saw some of the finest meadows that were ever beheld, and met with a few rocky places, the stone of which is sandy, and seemed to be admirably adapted for building. In the woods they found a tree bearing cherries, if shape and colour may entitle them to that name, the juice of which was agreeably tart. They now returned to their boat, and seeing a fire at a distance, rowed towards it, but the Indians fled on their approach. Near the beach they found seven canoes, and as many fires, from whence they judged that each fisherman had dressed his own dinner. There were oysters lying on the spot, and some muscles roasting on the fire. They ate of these fish, and left them some beads and other trifles in return. They now returned to the ship; and in the evening Mr. Banks went out with his gun, and saw a great number of quails, some of which he shot, and they proved to be the same kind as those of England.
On the following day a Midshipman having strayed from his companions, came suddenly on an old man and woman, and some children, who were sitting naked under a tree together. They seemed afraid of him, but did not run away. The man wore a long beard, and both him and the woman were grey-headed; but the woman’s hair was cut short. This day, likewise, two of another party met with six Indians on the border of a wood, one of whom calling out very loud, a lance was thrown from the wood, which narrowly missed them. The Indians now ran off; and, on looking round, they saw a youth descend from a tree, who had doubtless been placed there for the purpose of throwing the lance at them. This day the Captain went up the country on the north-side of the bay, which he found to resemble the moory grounds of England; but the land was thinly covered with plants about sixteen inches high. The hills rise gradually behind each other to a great distance, and between them is marshy ground. Those who had been sent out to fish this day met with great success; and the second Lieutenant struck a fish called the sting-ray, which weighed near two hundred and fifty pounds. The next morning a fish of the same kind was catched, which weighed three hundred and fifty pounds.
The name of BOTANY BAY was given to this place, from the large number of plants collected by Messrs. Banks and Solander. This country produces two kinds of wood which may be deemed timber; one of which is tall and strait, like the pine, and the other is hard, heavy, and dark-coloured, like _lignum vitæ_; it yields a red gum, like _sanguis draconis_, and bears some resemblance to an English oak. There are mangroves in abundance, several kinds of palm, and a few shrubs. Among other kinds of birds, crows were found here, exactly like those of England. There is great plenty of water-fowl among the flats of sand and mud; one of which is shaped like a pelican, is larger than a swan, and has black and white feathers. These banks of mud abound with cockles, muscles, oysters, and other shell-fish, which greatly contribute towards the support of the natives, who sometimes dress them on shore, and at other times in their canoes. They likewise catch many other sorts of fish with hook and line.
While captain Cook remained in the harbour, the English colours were displayed on shore, daily, and the name of the ship, with the date of the year, was carved on a tree near the place where they took in their water.
They sailed from BOTANY BAY on the 6th of May, 1770; at noon were off a harbour which they called PORT JACKSON, and in the evening, near a bay, to which they gave the name of BROKEN BAY. The next day, at noon, the northermost land in sight projected so as to justify the calling it CAPE THREE POINTS. On Wednesday the 9th, they saw two exceeding beautiful rainbows, the colours of which were strong and lively; and those of the inner one so bright, as to reflect its shadow on the water. They made a complete semicircle, and the space between them was much darker than the rest of the sky. On Thursday they passed a low rocky point, which was named POINT STEPHENS, near which was an inlet, denominated PORT STEPHENS. Next day they saw smoke in several places on the shore; and in the evening discovered three remarkably high hills, near each other, which the Captain named the THREE BROTHERS.
On Sunday the 13th they saw the smoke of many fires on a point of land, which was therefore called SMOKEY CAPE. As they proceeded northward from BOTANY BAY, the land appeared high and well covered with wood. On Tuesday morning, by the assistance of their glasses, they discovered about a score of the Indians, each loaded with a bundle, which they imagined to be palm-leaves, to thatch their houses. They traced them for more than an hour, during which time they took not the least notice of the ship; at length they left the beach, and were lost behind a hill, which they gained by a gentle ascent.--At noon the Captain discovered a high point of land, which he called CAPE BYRON. In the evening they discovered breakers at a considerable distance from the shore; so that they were obliged to tack, and get into deeper water; which having done, they lay with the head of the vessel to the land till the next morning, when they were astonished to find themselves farther to the southward than they had been the preceding evening, notwithstanding they had a southerly wind all night. In the morning they passed the breakers, near a peaked mountain, which was named MOUNT WARNING; and the point off which they lay was called POINT DANGER. The next day they saw more breakers, near a point which was distinguished by the name of POINT LOOK-OUT, to the north of which lies a bay, which Captain Cook called MORETON’S BAY; and the north point of which he named CAPE MORETON. Near this place are three hills, which were called the GLASS HOUSES, from the very strong resemblance they bore to such buildings.