The flood tide ceased to run at three quarters past three in the morning, or about nine hours after the moon passed over the meridian.

Nov. 2. A light breeze having sprung up from the eastward we steered for the bottom of the bay, and at noon the nearest part of the beach was distant only two miles.

We stood on another mile, and then bore away westward, following the round of the shore, but no inlet could be perceived. At three o'clock, we had passed Point Waterhouse, and seeing a fair channel of about two miles wide between it and the island, steered through, S.W. by W.

Isle Waterhouse is near four miles in length. Its southern shore consists of beaches and rocky points; but it rises abruptly to a moderate elevation. The level top is mostly covered with wood; and although its appearance did not bespeak fertility, it was superior to any we had seen of Furneaux's Islands. The land at the back of Point Waterhouse is higher than that of the island, and is composed of grassy, woody hills, rising over each other by gentle ascents. Upon the point there is a sandy hillock, and a reef of rocks extends out from it a quarter of a mile. We had 8 fathoms, whilst rounding this reef; and in steering through the passage, the soundings were 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 5, 6 fathoms; the sandy bottom being visible under the sloop. At the further end of the channel, a rocky islet and a small reef were passed, leaving them on the starbord hand. The islet was almost covered with sea birds and hair seals; from which circumstance we judged, that the natives of Van Diemen's Land were not able to get across here, any more than to the Swan Isles; and that, consequently, they had no canoes upon this part of the coast.

From Point Waterhouse, the shore trends S. 67° W., five or six miles, and is mostly rocky. It then takes a direction of S. S. W., in a long sandy beach, and afterwards curves westward to a projecting point, near which we had no ground with 13 fathoms a little before sunset. Another island had been for some time visible, and was then distant six miles: It was called

The projecting point is over-topped with hillocks of almost bare sand, as is a second, which lies W. 6° S., two or three miles from, and much resembles, the first: these two projections received the joint name of Double Sandy Point. The back country was manifestly worse than any before seen on this coast. The pleasant looking hills of Point Waterhouse no longer approached the shore; but retiring far inland, left a low space between the back hills and the sea, which had every appearance of being sandy and barren.

In passing the western part of Double Sandy Point, we had 5, and then 4 fathoms; and saw a reef extending from it some distance to the westward. It was then nearly dark, and we hauled off upon a wind, for the night; the furthest visible extreme, a remarkable stony head, bearing S. 70° W. about eight miles.

The wind blew a moderate breeze all night, at north-east. At five in the morning, Nov. 3, the Ninth Island was distant two miles, and bore E. 2° N., in a line with Point Waterhouse. The top of the island appeared green and level; but I did not see any seals upon the rocks. Resuming our former course along shore, we passed close to Stony Head at ten o'clock, when two sets of distances of the sun east of the moon, gave its corrected longitude 147° 10' east. The wind having then veered more to the north, we hauled further off, and passed a rocky islet (the tenth), upon which a few overgrown hair seals were sunning themselves. At noon, our situation was as follows.

Stony Head is the extremity of a ridge of hills which branches out from the inland mountains, and stretches across the low, sandy land in front, to the sea. On each side of the ridge there were several smokes, which induced me to suppose the flat lands might contain lakes of fresh water. The low head, bearing S. 35° W. seemed to be the termination of another branch from the inland mountains; round it there was some appearance of an opening, and at two o'clock, this excited so much hope that I ventured to bear away before the wind. We advanced rapidly with the flood, and at four, had passed LOW HEAD and were steering S. E. by S., up an inlet of more than a mile wide. Some shoals, not quite covered, we left on the starbord hand; keeping a straight course for the entrance of a basin or bay, at which the inlet seemed to terminate. This course took us over some strong ripplings of tide, on none of which, however, there was less than 5 fathoms; and so soon as they were passed, 13 fathoms did not reach the bottom. After advancing three miles, we approached a low, green island, lying nearly in mid-channel; and being uncertain which was the deepest side, I took the most direct, which lay to the west. From 8 fathoms, the next cast of the lead was 3½, and immediately the sloop was aground. Fortunately, the bottom was soft, and the strong flood dragged her over the bank without injury. The water deepened again as quick; and when the channel on the east side of Green Island was open, there was no bottom at 13 fathoms.

We could not but remark the contrast between the shores of this inlet, covered with grass and wood down to the water's edge, and the rocky sterile banks observed in sailing up Port Jackson: it spoke favourably for the country, and added to the satisfaction we felt in having made the discovery. There was, however, little time for meditation: the tide drove the sloop rapidly onward to the basin; and the evening coming on, I pushed between some dry rocks and a point on the western side, and anchored in 2 fathoms, on a bottom of sand and mud.

There appeared to be three arms, or rivers, discharging themselves into this extensive basin. That which came from the westward., had its embouchure close to the sloop; and Mr. Bass went off in the boat to look up it. His attention was, however, soon called to another pursuit: a number of black swans were swimming before him, and judging from former experience in Western Port, that several of them were unable to fly, he gave chase with the boat. On his return at dusk, he rejoiced us with the sight of four, and with a promise that we should not be in want of fresh provisions in this port.

Nov. 4. I landed Mr. Bass with two men, to examine the country, and then commenced a survey of the port by an examination of the Western Arm. It is narrow, and has not more in the entrance than 3 fathoms, although, about one mile up, there be 7 near the starbord shore. This arm is not accessible to ships beyond three miles; and even in that distance there is much more shoal than deep water.

The rocks lying at the entrance of the basin are covered at the top of the flood, but at other times are much frequented by shags. After observing the latitude and taking bearings there, I went down to Green Island; and the tide being then out, perceived the shoals in Sea Reach to be so numerous and extensive, that it was surprising how the sloop could have reached thus far without striking upon some of them. In the channel to the east of Green Island I found from 7 to 25 fathoms, and both the sides of it steep to; a rock lies in the middle of the passage, but at twenty yards from it there was 3 fathoms all round. Green Island is covered with long, coarse grass and bushes, with a few small trees intermixed. The large, noisy gulls frequent it for the purpose of breeding, as do the swans, several of whose deserted nests were found with the broken egg-shells in them. These were corroborating proofs, that the natives of this part of Van Diemen's Land have not the means of transporting themselves across the water; for Green Island is scarcely two cables length from the shore.

In returning to the sloop, I took off Mr. Bass and his party, together with a kangaroo weighing between eighty and ninety pounds, which he had shot out of a considerable flock. Our fresh provisions were still further increased by an addition of six swans, caught this evening with the boat.

Nov. 5 was employed in the survey of the Western Arm, and searching, but in vain, for the means of conveniently replenishing our water casks. Next morning we steered across the basin., and sought to anchor under an island which, from its situation at the entrance of the eastern arm, was called Middle Island; but there not being a sufficient depth of water behind it, the course was continued up the eastern arm, in 10 or more fathoms water, for two or three miles; when we anchored upon a five-fathom bank, near a small cove on the northern shore. On landing, a little stream was found descending from the hills into the south-east corner of the cove, and in the middle was a gully with several deep holes in it full of excellent water: this last, though not accessible till half flood, was the most convenient for our purpose.

There were many recent traces of natives on the shore; and after returning to the sloop, we saw, on the opposite side of the arm a man who employed or amused himself by setting fire to the grass in different places. He did not stay to receive us, and we rowed down to Middle Island where a smoke was rising. The natives shunned us there also; for soon after landing, I saw three of them walk up from the shoal which joins Middle Island to the opposite low, sandy point. The party appeared to consist of a man, a woman, and a boy; and the two first had something wrapped round them which resembled cloaks of skins.

The gently-sloping hills of Middle Island afford about forty acres of pasture land, well covered with grass, and thinly wooded. No fresh water was seen, but it might probably be obtained by digging. This island is little frequented by aquatic birds, from the circumstance of its being accessible, at low water, to the inhabitants of the main.

Nov. 7. Mr. Bass and myself landed on the south shore upon our respective pursuits. The sandy point at the back of Middle Island was particularly favourable to the survey; and a base of sixty-six chains measured round it, with the concomitant angles, enabled me to connect the eastern arm with the basin. The sloop had been completed with water in the morning, and was ready to proceed in continuation of the voyage; but the width of the arm, the depth of water in it, and strength of the tides, were too strong indications of a river of extensive course for me to be able to quit it without some further examination.

(Atlas, Pl. VII.)

A rainy gale from the eastward did not allow of moving until Nov. 9th; we then got under way with the flood tide, and beat up the first, or Long Reach, against a south-east wind. Abreast of Point Rapid (see the chart), where the river turned sharp round to the south-west, I went away in the boat to examine the upper end of Long Reach; but the haste required in following after the sloop, which the tide assisted in driving fast upward, allowed me to do it but very cursorily. In Crooked Reach, I stopped at two places, and measured a short base near Glen Bight. The sloop was then lost to view, although the wind had died away; and on reaching Brush Island, it was not easy to know which way she had taken, Round-head Bay having as much the appearance of being a continuation of the river, as had Whirlpool Reach. This reach stretches south-eastward, and its width is much less than in any of the lower parts of the river, being no more than a short quarter of a mile; but, as might be expected, the depth in it, from 10 to 22 fathoms, is greater, and its borders are steep and rocky. At the end of Whirlpool Reach, the banks of the river opened out so considerably that, from our little boat, it appeared like a sea, the land at the further end being scarcely distinguishable. Fortunately, we got sight of the sloop in Anchor Bight before it was dark, and carried with us another black swan.

Nov. l0, being under the necessity of going down to Brush Island, to bring the survey up from thence to the position of the sloop, we did not get under way till near noon. The wind was from the westward, and I went forward in the boat to Egg Island, so named from the number of eggs, mostly of the gull and red bill, which were there found. It is small and stony; but covered with grass, and had not been visited by the natives. My next station was on the opposite side of the river, upon a low sandy point which is lengthened by a dry shoal. These project out from the general line of the southern shore, and contract the river to less than half a mile; whereas its width above and below, is one mile and a half. On the east, or lee side of this point and shoal was a flock of swans, in number not less than from three to five hundred; and their cast quills were so intermixed with the sand, as to form a component part of the beach. This countless number of quills gave me an insight into the cause why so many of the swans, though not young birds, were unable to fly: they moult their wing feathers, probably at stated periods, though not, I should think, every year. This sandy projection was named Swan Point.

On steering southward from thence, I found that the bight in which this great number of birds had assembled, was full of shoals producing the long aquatic grass which forms the principal part, if it be not their sole food. We sailed through the flock, and might have procured a good number, had not the progress of the sloop obliged us to hasten onward to Shoal Point: one incautious bird was caught by his long neck as we sailed past him.

The change in the direction of the river, from south-east to south, made the extension of a new base necessary. From the end of Shoal Point, I ran thirty-two chains westward, across a small stream of fresh water; and having taken the necessary angles, returned to the sloop, which had then anchored at half a mile from the point, in 4 fathoms. The shoal was dry in the evening, within two cables length of the vessel, and rendered the fresh stream inaccessible to a boat.

The time of our absence from Port Jackson being restricted to the beginning of January, I did not think it advisable to take the sloop any further up the river; but determined, after devoting one day more to an excursion in the boat, to return and proceed along the north coast of Van Diemen's Land, in prosecution of the main object of the voyage.

Nov. 11, Mr. Bass landed near Shoal Point, to go as far back into the country as the limited time would permit. I steered from thence over to a red bank on the east side of the river, measured a base of seventy nine chains, and took angles from a variety of stations. At the Crescent Shore, the river was contracted to a quarter of a mile in width, the water was half fresh, and the depth across as follows: 1½, 3, 5½, 8, 8½, 12½, 11, 6, 4 fathoms at half flood.

The direction of the river, from where the sloop was lying to this part, is nearly S. S. W.; but it then winds round the Crescent Shore, and runs E. S. E. My uppermost station was upon a hill near the water side, at the commencement of this new reach; and from thence the river appeared, at the distance of a mile and a half, to reopen out its banks, and to turn more southward. In an eastern direction, across the wide part, there were three ridges of hills, and beyond them some blue peaks and caps of distant mountains, which I judged to be the same we had seen from Cape Portland; and amongst which the source, or some of the sources of this river most probably arose. The distance of these mountains concurred with the strength of the tides and the depth of water to indicate, that, at the Crescent Shore, the larger half of the river still remained to be explored.*

[* The chart will show from later examinations, how far the river is navigable, and whence its different sources are derived.]

The morning of Nov. 12 was foggy and calm. We rowed the sloop down with the assistance of the ebb tide, to Round-head Bay, and anchored in 3½ fathoms. At high water, the anchor was again weighed; and at dusk, having had a breeze, we reached the five-fathom bank in Long Reach, near Watering Cove. From the upper end of Whirlpool Reach to Point Rapid, I went ahead in the boat and examined all the creeks and gullies on the western shore, for watering places. There were drains of fresh water down some of these, but in none, not even in Glen Bight, was there any accessible to boats.

Nov. 13, we beat down with the ebb tide to Middle Island, and then steered across the basin for the Middle Arm, which was yet totally unexplored; but after many ineffectual attempts to find a passage over the shoals, we came to, in 5 fathoms, near the Shag Rocks, and I went to examine the arm with the boat. From Inspection Head I discovered a narrow channel leading into it, where there was more than sufficient depth for ships; but this arm is altogether of little consequence.

In the evening, it blew a gale of wind from the north-westward, with hail and rain; and the same weather continuing next day, I employed the time in examining Sea Reach. On the 15th, somewhat finer weather enabled us to get down to Outer Cove, a place opposite to Green Island, where there is room for a larger vessel than the Norfolk to ride at single anchor, in 8 fathoms. The head of the cove is shoal, and the stream that falls into it is salt to a greater distance than a boat can go; nor could any accessible fresh water be found in the neighbourhood. Middle Rock, so named from its situation in the deep channel between the cove and Green Island, is hidden at half flood. Fine muscles were gathered from it, many of them containing small, discoloured pearls, such as are found in those of Adventure Bay.

From this time to the 20th, the western winds continued to blow strong; and finding, after an ineffectual attempt, that it was impossible to make any progress in the voyage, we remained in port, taking astronomical observations, completing the survey, and examining the country, until a favourable change should take place. At the back of the longest beach near Low Head, and on the same side, I found a deep pool of tolerably good water, at which our casks were again replenished; and when the boat was not employed in this, or other services, the people were sent swan hunting, and never without success.

Nov. 20. The wind having become moderate at north-west, we beat out of the port with the ebb tide; and at one p.m., took a departure from Low Head. The breeze had then veered to E. N. E.; and when we had run nine leagues, a head on the west side of the port bore S. 53° E., and the furthest visible part of the coast was at west: being then dusk, the wind was hauled off shore.

We had rainy weather in the night, and the wind shifted back to W. N. W., and blew a fresh gale. This soon raised a high sea, and reduced us to a close-reefed main sail and jib; nor were we without apprehensions of the shore for the following night, so much did the sloop drive to leeward. On the 22nd at noon the gale was more moderate, the wind at W. by S., and the weather permitted an observation to be taken for the latitude; it was 40° 13', and we had land bearing E. N. E. about three leagues distant. So soon as I had satisfied myself that this could be no other than the hilly land lying five leagues to the northward of the Chappell Isles, we bore away before the sea; and by carrying all sail, secured an anchorage in Hamilton's Road before dark.

It was not safe to move on the 23rd, and there being a lunar eclipse announced in the ephemeris to take place in the following night, I landed to observe it with the telescope of the sextant. The times at which the beginning and end happened by the watch, being corrected from altitudes of the stars Rigel and Sirius observed in an artificial horizon, gave 148° 37½' for the uncorrected longitude of Preservation Island; which is 37' more than was deduced from the lunar distances in the Francis. The penumbra attending the earth's shadow is usually supposed to render this observation uncertain to two or three minutes of time, or more than half a degree of longitude.

Nov. 24. The gale had subsided to a moderate breeze, and we tried to beat back to the westward; but finding too much sea, bore away into Armstrong's Channel to speak the commander of the Nautilus; that, through him, governor Hunter might be informed of our discoveries thus far, and of the delays experienced from the western winds. I was happy to find captain Bishop proceeding successfully in his sealing business, though slower than he might have done, had the anchorage been nearer to the eastern points.*

[* Nine thousand skins of the first quality, with several tons of oil, were procured by the Nautilus, and Furneaux's Islands have since been frequented by small vessels from Port Jackson upon the same errand. Unfortunately, this species of fishery is soon exhausted in any one place; or it would have been the means of raising up an useful body of seamen, and thus proved of advantage, both to the colony and to the mother country.]

In the evening it fell calm, and the tide being favourable, we rowed back for Hamilton's Road; but a fair breeze springing up when abreast of it, instead of anchoring we made all sail to the west-south-west for Van Diemen's Land.

On the 25th at day-light, the Ninth Island bore south, five miles; the wind had then shifted to N. by W., and blew strong, with rainy weather; and at eight o'clock, it was at N. W. by W., and obliged us to tack offshore. This gale cleared away on the 26th, and at noon our situation was in

We were then steering south-westward again with a fair breeze; but had scarcely passed Stony Head, next morning, when another gale sprung up from the north-west. It was a happy circumstance that we were able to reach our new discovered port, and take refuge at the former secure anchorage near the Shag Rocks; for this gale was more violent and of longer continuance than any of the preceding. This long succession of adverse winds caused us almost to despair of accomplishing the principal object of the voyage; for of the twelve weeks, to which our absence from Port Packson was limited, nearly eight were already expired.

Dec. 2. The gale moderated, and we made an attempt to continue the voyage, but were driven back. On the 3rd, the attempt was repeated; and the wind being light, we anchored at the entrance of the port, to prevent losing by the flood what had been gained by the ebb tide. In the evening a fair wind sprung up; and at length, to our great satisfaction, we were enabled to proceed in the discovery of the strait.

The harbour, which we entered with so much pleasure on Nov. 3, and finally quitted with still more on Dec. 3, was named PORT DALRYMPLE, by His Excellency governor Hunter, as a mark of respect to Alexander Dalrymple, Esq., the late hydrographer to the Admiralty. The following is a summary of the observations taken there, for fixing the position of Low Head, on the east side of the entrance:

[* The longitude of Low-Head, deduced from the Investigator's time keepers, combined with my surveys in the Francis and Norfolk, is 146° 47½ east; as the observations with the large sextant, No. 251, taken alone, would give it very nearly.]

Port Dalrymple and the River Tamar* occupy the bottom of a valley betwixt two irregular chains of hills, which shoot off north-westward, from the great body of inland mountains. In some places, these hills stand wide apart, and the river then opens its banks to a considerable extent; in others, they nearly meet, and contract its bed to narrow limits. The Tamar has, indeed, more the appearance of a chain of lakes, than of a regularly-formed river; and such it probably was, until, by long undermining, assisted perhaps by some unusual weight of water, a communicating channel was formed, and a passage forced out to sea. From the shoals in Sea Reach, and more particularly from those at Green Island which turn the whole force of the tides, one is led to suppose, that the period when the passage to sea was forced has not been very remote. [* So named by the late lieut. colonel Paterson, who was sent from Port Jackson to settle a new colony there, in 1804. The sources of the river were then explored, and the new names applied which are given in the chart. The first town established was Yorktown at the head of the Western Arm, but this proving inconvenient as a sea port, it was proposed to be removed lower down, near Green Island. Launceston, which is intended to be the capital of the new colony, is fixed at the junction of the North and South Esks, up to which the Tamar is navigable for vessels of 150 tons. The tide reaches nine or ten miles up the North Esk, and the produce of the farms within that distance may be sent down the river by boats, but the South Esk descends from the mountains by a cataract, directly into the Tamar, and, consequently, is not accessible to navigation of any kind.]

Of the two chains of hills which bound the valley, the eastern one terminates at Low Head; the other comes down to the sea, five or six miles from it, on the west side of the port. The ends of these chains, when seen from directly off the entrance, appear as two clusters of hills having some resemblance to each other; and in fine weather, the distant blue heads of the back mountains will be seen over the tops of both clusters. These appearances, joined to the latitude and longitude, are the best distant marks for finding Port Dalrymple. If a ship come along shore from the eastward, the Ninth Island, and afterward Stony Head with the Tenth Islet lying three or four miles to the north-west, will announce the vicinity of the port; and Low Head will be perceived in the bight to the S. S. W., but it is not a conspicuous object.

Three or four leagues to the westward of the port, the back land is uncommonly high, and the top of the ridge is intersected into uncouth shapes. From the brilliancy of some of these mountains, on the appearance of the sun after rain, I judged them to be of granite, like those of Furneaux's Islands. These mountains, with the direction of the coast and what has been said of the clusters of hills, may serve as marks for Port Dalrymple to ships coming along shore from the westward.

Reefs and banks extend out to a considerable distance on the west side of the entrance; so that strangers should avoid that side, and endeavour to come in with Low Head. The greater part of these shoals, as also of those in Sea Reach, are covered at half tide; therefore the first of the flood, or even a little before, is the best time to enter Port Dalrymple, as almost the whole of the dangers are then visible. A signal post, with pilots, was fixed at Low Head on the settlement of the new colony in 1804, and beacons have since been placed on the most dangerous rocks and shoals; it has therefore become unnecessary to give particular instructions for sailing up the port, especially as they may be found in my Observations on the coasts of Van Diemen's Land, etc.; a little memoir published by Mr. Arrowsmith, in 1801.*

[* In Mr. Horsburgh's Sailing Directions, etc. Part II., are given, upon my friend captain Kent's authority, notices of the beacons laid down, and directions respecting them; to which I add, from the information of lieut. Oxley, that a rock, on which H. M. ship Porpoise struck, lies W. ½ N. by compass, one cable's length from Point Roundabout. There is no more than four feet upon it at low water, but it way be safely passed on either side.]

We found Port Dalrymple to be an excellent place for refreshment. Out of the flocks of black swans, from one-fifth to one-tenth of them were unable to fly; and since the same thing has been found to obtain in the months of January and May, as well as in October. it is probably so at all times of the year. These birds are endowed with a considerable portion of sagacity: they cannot dive, but have a method of immersing themselves so deep in the water, as to render their bodies nearly invisible, and thus frequently to avoid detection. In chase, their plan was to gain the wind upon our little boat; and they usually succeeded when the breeze was strong, and sometimes escaped from our shot also.

Kangaroos appeared to be rather numerous in this part of Van Diemen's Land; but as they were shy, and we had little time or necessity to go after them, one only was procured; it was of the large, forest kind, and the flesh was thought superior to that of the same animal at Port Jackson.

Ducks and teal went by flocks in Port Dalrymple; but they were shy, and we took no trouble after them. The white-bellied shag, and the black and pied red bills were common in the lower parts of the port, and some pelicans were seen upon the shoals. The large black shag, usually found in rivers, was seen in different parts of the Tamar; and upon another occasion, we found these birds to be tolerable food.

Neither our wants nor leisure were sufficient to induce any attempt to catch fish. Muscles were abundant upon those rocks which are overflowed by the tide; and the natives appeared to get oysters by diving, the shells having been found near their fire places.

The country round Port Dalrymple has, in general, a pleasing and fertile appearance; nor did examination prove it to be deceitful. But this subject, and what concerns the natives, came more particularly within the department of Mr. Bass; and his observations upon them having been published, I proceed to the continuation of the voyage.

Dec. 3, in the evening, the Norfolk was lying at anchor off the entrance of the port, when a breeze sprung up from the north-eastward, and enabled us to proceed along the coast. At dusk, Low Head bore S. 77° E. six miles, and we then hauled off for the night. The shore on the west side of Port Dalrymple falls back to the southward and forms a bight under the high land, where it is possible there may be some small opening; for the haziness of the weather did not allow the coast line to be distinctly traced. Upon the back mountains are many variously-shaped tops, of which the easternmost bore S. 5° E., and a flat one towards the other end of the ridge, S. 38° W. The furthest land which could be seen was a round hill, making like an island, and bore very nearly west from the mast head.

Dec. 4. We resumed our course westward, but the wind being at N. N. E., did not dare to approach very near the shore. At noon, the observed latitude was 40° 58', and the hills on the west side of Port Dalrymple bore S. 65° E. five or six leagues. From thence to S. 38° W., where another chain of hills came down to the sea, the country is well wooded, and lies in hills and vallies. The Round Hill bore S. 65° W. five or six leagues, and in the evening, when three leagues distant, the low land connecting it with the main was visible.

During the night, and next day, Dec. 5, the winds were light and variable, so that we made little progress. At noon, the furthest land seen to the westward appeared like a small flat-topped island, but being found to be connected with the main land, received the descriptive name of Circular Head; a nearer projection, of a jagged appearance, was called Rocky Cape, and a steep cliffy head still nearer, Table Cape, from its flat top. Our situation was then as under;

The sandy shore abreast was seven or eight miles distant, and behind it the land was low, but tolerably well covered with wood. The sole remarkable object inland, was the flat-topped peak, which had very much the appearance of an extinguished volcano. From after bearings, it was found to lie S. 1° E. eleven leagues from Table Cape; and in that direction its top assumes the form of a pointed cone.

In the morning of Dec. 6, our situation was N. 8° E. four miles from the cliffy, north-east end of Table Cape, and the Round Hill bore S. 41° E. Having a favourable breeze, we passed, at eight o'clock, within half a mile of the reef which surrounds Rocky Cape, and steered onward for Circular Head, which as yet was the furthest visible land.

Table Cape, Rocky Cape, and Circular Head lie nearly in a line of N. 62° W., and are about ten miles apart from each other. Between these, the coast forms two shallow bights; the shore of the first is mostly rocky, and an islet lies in the middle; the western bight is sandy, and promises better anchorage, particularly near Circular Head, where a vessel may be sheltered against all winds from the western half of the compass. The land at the back of the shore, from Table Cape westward, is of a different description to that before passed: instead of having an extensive view over a variegated, and well wooded country, the sight was there confined by a ridge of stony hills, of which Rocky Cape is no more than a projecting part.

Circular Head is a cliffy, round lump, in form much resembling a Christmas cake; and is joined to the main by a low, sandy isthmus. The land at the back is somewhat lower than the head, and is formed into very gentle slopes. A slight covering of withered grass gave it a smooth appearance; and some green bushes scattered over it much resembled, at a distance, a herd of seals basking upon a rock.

We passed Circular Head at ten, and three hummocks of land then came in sight to the north-westward, the southernmost and highest having something of a sugar-loaf form. Between these hills and the smooth land to the west of Circular Head, there was a large bight, in which some patches of land were indistinctly visible through the haze; but as the wind was then blowing directly into the bight, the fear of getting embayed prevented its examination. Our position at noon was as follows:

From the time of leaving Port Dalrymple no tide had been observed, until this morning. It ran with us, and continued until three o'clock; at which time low land was seen beyond the three hummocks. This trending of the coast so far to the north made me apprehend, that it might be found to join the land near Western Port, and thus disappoint our hopes of discovering an open passage to the westward; the water was also discoloured, as if we were approaching the head of a bay, rather than the issue of a strait; and on sounding, we had 17, and afterwards 15 fathoms on a sandy bottom.

The wind having become light and the tide turned to the eastward, our situation at dusk was little altered from what it had been at three o'clock; but from the clearing away of the haze, the lands in the great bight had become more distinguishable, and the following bearings were taken:

The cliffs visible behind the low point had every appearance of being the north head of an opening, but of what kind, our distance was too great to determine.*

[* In 1804, Mr. Charles Robbins, acting lieutenant of His Majesty's ship Buffalo, was sent from Port Jackson to examine this great bight; and from his sketch it is, that the unshaded coast and soundings written at right angles are laid down in the chart.]

During the night and next day, Dec. 7, the wind was variable, with alternate calms. The latitude at noon was 40° 28', and the sugarloaf hill bore W. by S. ten miles. On the 8th a breeze sprung up from the south-westward, and threatened a gale from that boisterous quarter. We were in 40° 23' at noon, and trying to work up to the land of the three hummocks, to prevent losing ground; and at six in the evening, got to an anchor in a quarter less 4 fathoms, in a small sandy bight under the northern hummock, being sheltered from N. 2° E., round by the west to S. 30° E. Circular Head was still visible, bearing S. 35° E.; and the difference of longitude made from Port Dalrymple was calculated at 1¾°, subject to future revision.

Mr. Bass and myself landed immediately to examine the country and the coast, and to see what food could be procured; for the long detention by foul winds had obliged me to make a reduction in the provisions, lest the object of our voyage and return to Port Jackson should not be accomplished in the twelve weeks for which we were victualled. At dusk, we returned on board, having had little success as to any of the objects proposed; but with the knowledge of a fact, from which an interesting deduction was drawn: the tide had been running from the eastward all the afternoon, and contrary to expectation, we found it to be near low water by the shore; the flood, therefore, came from the west, and not from the eastward, as at Furneaux's Isles. This we considered to be a strong proof, not only of the real existence of a passage betwixt this land and New South Wales, but also that the entrance into the Southern Indian Ocean could not be far distant.

The little time there was for examining the coast, confined my observations to what were necessary for giving it the formation it has in the chart. The country is hilly, and Mr. Bass found it impenetrable from the closeness of the tall brush wood, although it had been partially burnt not long before. There was very little soil spread over the rock and sand, and the general aspect was that of sterility. Several deserted fire places, strewed round with the shells of the sea ear, were found upon the shore.

The south-west wind died away in the night; and at six next morning, Dec. 9, we got under way with a light air at south-east. After rounding the northeast point of the three-hummock land, our course westward was pursued along its north side.

A large flock of gannets was observed at daylight, to issue out of the great bight to the southward; and they were followed by such a number of the sooty petrels as we had never seen equalled. There was a stream of from fifty to eighty yards in depth, and of three hundred yards, or more, in breadth; the birds were not scattered, but flying as compactly as a free movement of their wings seemed to allow; and during a full hour and a half, this stream of petrels continued to pass without interruption, at a rate little inferior to the swiftness of the pigeon. On the lowest computation, I think the number could not have been less than a hundred millions; and we were thence led to believe, that there must be, in the large bight, one or more uninhabited islands of considerable size.*

[* Taking the stream to have been fifty yards deep by three hundred in width, and that it moved at the rate of thirty miles an hour, and allowing nine cubic yards of space to each bird, the number would amount to 151,500,000. The burrows required to lodge this quantity of birds would be 75,750,000; and allowing a square yard to each burrow, they would cover something more than 181 geographic square miles of ground.]

From the north-east point of the three-hummock land, the shore trended W. 1° N. three miles; then S. 39° W. four miles, to a rocky point, forming the south-west extremity of what was then ascertained to be THREE-HUMMOCK ISLAND. The channel which separates it from the land to the west, is, at least, two miles in width, and is deep; so that it was difficult to conjecture how the Indians were able to get over to the island. It was almost certain that they had no canoes at Port Dalrymple, nor any means of reaching islands lying not more than two cables length from the shore; and it therefore seemed improbable that they should possess canoes here. The small size of Three-hummock Island rendered the idea of fixed inhabitants inadmissible; and whichever way it was considered, the presence of men there was a problem difficult to be resolved.*

[* Future visitants to these islands have seen the Indians passing over in bodies, by swimming, similar to those whom Dampier saw on the north-west coast of New Holland. Why the natives of Port Dalrymple should not have had recourse to the same expedient, where the distance to be traversed is so much less, seems incomprehensible.]

The coast on the west side of the channel lies nearly south, and rises in height as it advances towards the cliffy head, set on the 6th p.m. The north end of this land is a sloping, rocky point; and the first projection which opened round it, was at S. 32° W., five or six miles. Beyond this there was nothing like main land to be seen; indeed, this western land itself had very little the appearance of being such, either in its form, or in its poor, starved vegetation. So soon as we had passed the north sloping point, a long swell was perceived to come from the south-west, such as we had not been accustomed to for some time. It broke heavily upon a small reef, lying a mile and a half from the point, and upon all the western shores; but, although it was likely to prove troublesome, and perhaps dangerous, Mr. Bass and myself hailed it with joy and mutual congratulation, as announcing the completion of our long-wished-for discovery of a passage into the Southern Indian Ocean.

We had a fine breeze at east; and our course was directed for a small, rocky island which lies W. ½ N. 6 miles from the north point of the barren land. This island appeared to be almost white with birds; and so much excited our curiosity and hope of procuring a supply of food, that Mr. Bass went on shore in the boat whilst I stood off and on, waiting his return. No land could be seen to the northward, and the furthest clearly distinguishable in the opposite direction was a steep island at the distance of four leagues. The observations taken at noon were,