Break Sea Spit, the Hoping hummock bearing S. 90 E. at the time
o f altering the courfe.
The coaft round Hervey’s Bay was, in general, low near the
fliore, and on the weft fide the low land extended to fome diftance
inwards. On that fide the land wore a different appearance from
that of Sandy Cape, there being few marks o f fand, and the fliore
was moftly rocky. Advancing toward the head, the beaches pre-
fented themfelves, and continued with little interruption into the
upper bay. A large ifland lying off the entrance to the upper bay
Ihewed no marks o f fand, but was well covered, with wood and
verdure. In height, it was equal to the higher parts of the main,
and being four or five miles in length, feemed to be a fire ifland.
On the eaftern fliore the fand was more or lefs apparent every
where, increafing in quantity toward the cape. The white cliffs
that were noticed before very probably contained chalk; the upper
ftratum, two or three feet in thickriefs, being o f a fuperior white-,
nefs in thofe which were beft feen.
With refpedt to fertility, the general afpetft only can be fpo-
ken of. About the head o f the bay, the trees were o f a fair
growth; grafs feemed Sufficiently abundant, and there were few
appearances o f fand. Some parts o f it Mr. Flinders thought were
ftony.
Of the inhabitants he could only obferve, that their fmokes
were numerous about the bay, and that they at times frequented
Curlew iflet.
Of the animal, vegetable, or foflil produftions o f the bay, he
could not fpeak, the fhortnefs o f his ftay not permitting any examination.
From the appearance o f the tide the day that he landed upon
the iflet, it had been high water between twelve and one o’clock,
which was between three and four hours before the moon came
upon the meridian.
The
The mean of nine amplitudes taken in this bay gave the variation
90 44' eaft; and of two fets o f azimuths 90 15 ' eaft;
from both, the mean variation o f the azimuth compafs was 9° 30'
eaft.
Having cleared the point o f Break Sea Spit, on Thurfday the 8th
he proceeded on his return to Pott Jackfon. Palling the land be-
. tween Smoky Cape and the Solitary Ifles in the day which had
been before paffed in the night,, he obferved that it feemed to be
higher than moft parts of its coaft in. the neighbourhood, Mount
Warning excepted ; and even there it was not fo high near the fliore.
The view that he had o f the land at funfet, when Smoky Cape bore
S. 25* W. diftant five or fix leagues, induced Mr. Flinders to think
it probable"that there might be an opening to the northward of it.
In the afternoon o f Sunday the 18th, there being but little
wind, and the weather fine, they were attended by feveral very
large fpermaceti: whales. They were not more than twice the
{loop’ s length from her, coming up on either fide at times very
near h e r ; and remained playing, or perhaps feeding, in this way for
more than two hours.
Their appearance was followed in the evening by a gale from
the S. W. which reduced them to their ftorm fails, and compelled
them to keep off and on during the night. The wind, however,
moderating the next day, a n d a . foutherly current having been in
their favour, Mr. Flinders concluded his labours at dulk in the
evening of the 20th ; at which time he fecured his little veil'd alongside
his Majefty’s fliip the Reliance in Port Jackfon. ,
The obfervations which were made by Mr. Flinders on the fet o f
the current at different parts o f the coaft, being diredly oppofite
to the remarks of Captain Cook, it may be proper to ftate them.
That great and able feaman fays, in his notice o f the current on
this coaft, that “ it always ran with more force in Ihore than in
the offing.” Now, in going to the northward the Hoop was kept
as near in Ihore as circumftances would permit; but the whole
ium