e m )
N. W. westerly . But it must be observedj-that the straight
course from the south point of Wilson’s Promontory to Cape Lip?
trap is nearly W. by N. as Mr. Bass tali laid it down-in the
sketch he made from the whale boat. The land between the
two. points falls back into a deep inlet which We did noUjsee
the bottom of, keeping as close as we could to, the wind, and
steering from N. W. to N. N. W. This inlet when better known
will, in case of easterly-winds, afford shelter to vessels bound
to the Eastwardand meeting with such winds. We penetrated
oh oui return from Western Port far enough'into it to see that
it ended in alow, sandy beach; The wind at fife. A, M. having
shifted from .lf.fN. E.-to W. 1ST. W. and varying- to the S. accompanied
with rain ahii ^fualls, I did n o t at this time judge
it prudent to com© to an anchor in it.
In pursuing our course towards Western Port from Cape Lip-
trap the eoast trains for a considerable distance N* W. and
then from E. S. E. to W. N. W. I t is a sandy beach and low
land, on part o f which the grass appeared to be burnt. The
land seemed to be level, and the soil good,
'The next Point to the W. of the Capa; just mentioned, which
bears according to-the courses we ran N. 3S& W, distant » about
eighteen miles. There is a low reef of rocks running off from
the shore about a mile£ and as it was necessary to distinguish
this Point, I named it Gape Paterson, in compliment to Colo*-
nel Paterson of the’. New South Wales Corps, Another Pblmt to
the W. of this h a sa lsa a ro ck y reef running off from it to some
distancer and appearing above water,,
‘ - At four P. M. of the.21st we had sight of the Island which
forms th e south head of Western Port, having, the likeness of a
snapper’s head, or horseman’s, helmet. By eight we were .up
with it, and on "opening the entrance of the port I found twp
small. Islands situated about three quarters of a mile from the
south
south head j With apparently a good passage between them, and
the island forming' the hàtbohr. From its likeness, as above*
mentioned-; to a shippers head, I named it Snapper Island^-it
falls in a high cla^Muff^dowif tb-thë water’s edge; The small
islands lying off from it were’ cövCfed with seals,' numbers of
which on* our approach »precipitated themselves into the sea;
covering thë'paSsèbgè^whfie Others remained' dm the rocks-mak-
ïngk'Ê- very disagreeable noise; soihewhat like the grunting^èf
pigsï They weîfe' of a lafcgffsize, tnahy' of them being nearly
equal to»"that-of W bullbék.il jMgjed-théhïko b$-of that species
èsf€h'@%ëal called by thfe Miëftttén Mâ* Elephants, höcördirigly
I naimfeii®ese,^eâl Islands; Psent a bokt ahead tih sound the
%ïid- fefünd 'between the; Sbaf‘Islands and thé South
Head twelve, jiin'é, siiyhvfe:/ and thMe»dnd a half fathoms water;
Which lhsi! was -.the sho&lëst in mid-channel. This passage will
shbfteri the‘v&tânéèi#hdü there’is a îfëddihg wind, but standing
utouind- tô' thè westward of Sdab Islands there wilt Bêbfbuttd siifl-
éiëht rëhmh-fbr' any numbe W é f 1 Vessels tö bekt- in; Mr. Bass,
wbeii he vi^itm|this placé'in the whale'boat, entered, the port
by-'‘thb''éa¥terxv passage, which is much the smallest, and coasting
» thë whsterii 'Shore frdm whence -he made-»Stef remarks,- I t is
probable that' thesëisfands lying so closëhokhé opposite side of
him,- they did not shew themselves ‘to be difaCtedlfrom the
southern side of the ‘entrance, and this I judge because he
makes no mention -of them. And I am thé îhôrê inclined, ter
thds<6|)ini0n, asrioone has ever thought of-looking* hërëforsealsy
notwithstanding- they may be fbünd in great numbers, with ah
ëxçellefet harbbur, affording good - shelter ’for v ësSéfet employ ed
in pursuit of them. * ;
Tthad rained constantly and hêàViîy-all the night, and »by its
éontinuance we could nof ^ e lMÿ 'great distance from the ve§y
sel, therè'fofe I kept the le'ad'-going aS - she worked up the har-
r % i 11 H ' bour.