Daily entries covering the voyage along the south and east coasts of Tasmania. On 1 March Bayly records his difficulties taking observations of lunar distance due to the roughness of the sea. The log entries include a description of the topography and coastline of Van Diemen’s Land [Tasmania] which they sighted on 9 March [RGO 14/56: 56r]. Detailed entries for 10-13 March record astronomical observations Bayly took while the ship was anchored in Adventure Bay, along with descriptions of the bay and the surrounding flora and fauna, as observed when Bayly went on shore [RGO 14/56: 56v-57r].
The ship remained in the bay for a number of days, and daily log entries resume on 16 March as the ship set off to explore the east coast of the island, via Maria Island and St Hellen’s [Helen’s] Point, where they saw several fires on the shore. On 18 March, Bayly wrote that it was probable that they had found ‘the mouth of a strait which separates New Holland from Van Diemen’s Land’ [RGO 14/56: 58r]. The final entries for the month record the ship travelling east (towards New Zealand) and include observations of distances of the sun and moon.