rable diftance inland. The land, in front was woody and bulhy, of
a moderate height, but fandy..
At three in the afternoon they ran through between a fandy
point, with fhoal water offit, and twoiflands. One ofthefe, named
Waterhoufe Ijle , is between two and three miles in length, rather
high, but level, and'covéred with large wood. The other is fmall,
low, rocky, and almoft bare. The coaft now trended to the S: S.
W. the land doping up gradually from the fea-to a moderate height,
with more open than wooded ground, and but little brulh ; but the
foil appeared fandy, and the grafs but thinly grown. The hummocky
mountains ftill retained their general figure in the more interior
parts.
As they proceeded, the Ihore no longer preferved any regular
line o f diredtion, but fell back into fandy bights. Hauling off for the
night, a little to the weftward o f a fmall rocky and barren ifland,
lying about four miles, from the land, at fix o’clock the following
morning they came in with it again, near where they had left it
the preceding evening, and began their courfe along the Ihore,
which trended to the S. S. W. in an irregular manner, with a fandy
country at its back.
At eleven o’clock they palled within a mile o f a high grafly -cape,
which is the feaward extremity of a ridge, that, rifing up by a gen-'
tie afcent, retreats, and joins fome chains of lofty" mountains. A
fmall rocky ifland lay two miles from it to the W. S. W. At noon
the latitude was 40? 55' 25", and the longitude 14 7 ^ 16 ' 30".
Early in the afternoon a gap in the land fituated at the back o f a.
deep narrow bight, which had for fome time attracted attention, began
to affume the appearance o f an inlet, which they bore away to
examine; and, after running three miles, they found they had Ihut
in the line of the cóaft on each fide, and . were impelled forward by a
ftrong infet of tide. Continuing their courfe for the gap, fome back
points within the entrance foon became diftinguilhable, and the rapidity
of the flood tide was obferved to increafe with the increafing
contiguity
163
contiguity o f the Ihores.. When the Hoop was on the point of entering
the harbour, which appeared to be fairly open before her, the
water fhoaled fuddenly, and Ihe ftruok the ground and lay fa ll; but
fortunately the ftrong flood in a few minutes dragged her over into
deep water, and Ihot her into the entrance with uncommon velocity.
Having advanced within the.entrance, the harbour began to expand
itfelf in a kind o f large bafin. Its Ihores were broken into
points and projections, between fome of which the great ftrength of
the flood tide led them to expeCt it would branch off into arms.
The land lying immediately upon its borders was low, but not flat;
well woOded; and thofe points near which the Hoop paffed were
clothed with a. very unufual degree of verdure. The fun being
down, the veffel was anchored for the night, and the next day they
proceeded with their refearches.
They were employed during fixteen days in the examination of
this place ; and the refult of the obfervations which were made by
Mr. Bafs in different parts of it, and the neighbouring country, are
thrown by that gentleman into one general account.
This harbour, or inlet, which was named by the governor Port
Dalrymple, in compliment to Alexander Dalrymple, Efq, takes its
courfe from the S. E. between two chains o f rounded mountains
ftretching inland from the fea with an almoft imperceptible increafe
o f elevation; and, after gradually approximating each other, feemed
to unite, at the diftance of between thirty and forty miles, in a body
o f rugged: mountains, more lofty than themfelves. Thefe two
chains in their relative pofitions formed an acute angle, being at their
greateft diftance afunder, as meafured along the fea coaft, only
fixteen miles.'
Being limited in point of time (twelve weeks having been deemed
by the governor fufficient for the: execution o f this.fervice), the ap-
prehenfion o f lofing a wind favourable for the profecution o f the
principal objeCt o f the voyage, that of failing through the ftrait,
deterred them from attempting to reach the head o f the river; but
Y 2 ' i t