190
In adjufting their comparative fertility, the contrafted difpofition
o f their foils is much more prominent than any inequality in their
quantity. They are poor countries; but, as far as the eye o f dif-
covery has yet penetrated into either, the cultivable ■ foil o f tha
latter is found lying in a few diftinct patches o f limited extent,
and o f varying quality ; while the foil o f the former, being more
equally fpread, thofe fpots of abundant richnefs, or large wilds of
unimproveable fterility, are much lefs frequently feen.
Although Van Diemen’s land feems to poffefs few or none of
thofe vaft depths of foil with which the happieft fpots of New South
Wales are: blefl'ed; yet it feldom fickens the heart o f its traveller
with thofe extenfive traits which at once difarm induftry, and leave
the warmeft imagination without one beguiling project.
In, point o f productive foil Mr. Bafs gives the preponderance to
Van Diemen’s land.
-i In one particular, which to the inhabitants o f a civilized country
is of the utmoft importance, both countries are but too much
alike : each is amply ftored with water for the common purpofes
o f life ; but deficient in thofe large interfedtions o f it which, in
other more fortunate countries, fo much facilitate the operations o f
man, and lead commerce to the door o f even the moll inland
farmer.
Two rivers only, Port Dalrymple and the Derwent, are known
to defcend from Van Diemen’ s land ; and by Point St. Vincent
poffibly there may be a third. But two rivers, or even three, bear
but a fcanty proportion to the bulk o f the illand.
On the 3d of January they left the Derwent, and proceeded to the
■ northward, coafting the eaft fide of Frederick-Henry Bay, which
was for the moll part high and fteep to the fea. The figure o f the
ihore, between what is now called Cape Bafaltes and Cape Pillar,
exhibited one of thofe great works o f nature which feldom fail to
excite furprife: it was all bafaltic. The cape is a vaft high
wedge,
•wedge; which projects into the fea, furmounted by lofty fingle
columns.
After palfing Cape Pillar, fome illands came in fight to the northward
; but they did not fetch- them, owing to the wind hanging in
that quarter; On the following day, they reached within five or
fix miles of one o f them, which in its general appearance bore fome
refemblance to Furneaux’s Illands. This groupe mull be either
Maria’s or Schouten’s illands, or both; but it was not determined
to which they belonged.
On the 7th, having until that day had but indiftindt views of
the land, they few Cape Barren Illand. They did not pafs through
the channel, or palfage, which divides Furneaux’s Illands, but discovered
why Captain Furneaux named the place the Bay o f Shoals.
Early on the morning o f the 8th they were among the illands
lying off the Patriarchs. They were three in number ; the largeft
of which was high, rocky, and barren, with a bafis o f granite;
which, like that o f Prefervation Illand, laid fcattered about in large
detached blocks. Mr. Bafs landed upon the outermoft, and found
it well inhabited. The various tribes had divided it into diftri&s.
One part was white with gannets, breeding in nefts o f earth and
dried grafs. Petrels and penguins had their under-ground habitations
in thofe parts o f the illand which had the moll grafs. The
rocks o f the Ihore, and blocks o f granite, were occupied by the
pied offenfive ftiag and common gu ll; geefe, red-bills and quails,,
lived in common, and the reft was appropriated to the feals, who
feemed to be the lords of the domain. Mr. Bafs remarked with
furprife, that though the principal herd fcampered off like Iheep,
as is ufual on the firft approach, yet the males, who polfelfed a rock
to themfelves, where they fat furrounded by their numerous wives
and progeny, on his drawing near them, hobbled up with a menacing
roar, and fairly commenced the attack, while the wives
feemed to reft their fecurity upon the luperior courage and addrefs
of their lord; for, inftead of retreating into the water in the utmoft