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;
Latitude observed, 40° 56' S.
Round Hill, distant three leagues, S. 22 E.
Table Cape, north extreme, N. 88 W.
Rocky Cape, highest knob, N. 77 W.
Circular Head N. 71 W.
A flat-topped peak, inland, S. 14 W.
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:
Latitude observed, 40° 39¾' S.
Circular Head, distant seven miles, S. 17 E.
West extreme of the smooth land behind it, S. 6 W.
Sugar-loaf hummock, N. 55 W.
Northernmost hummock, N. 49 W.
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:
Table Cape, distant 11 or 12 leagues, S. 43½° E.
Circular Head, S. 26 E.
Sugar-loaf hummock, N. 75 W.
Extreme of the three-hummock land, N. 48 W.
Low point in the great bight, with a cliffy
head at a further distance behind it, S. 70 W.
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,
