own. The circumftances which occafioned this difference between
the people of two countries fo near to each other, and fo much
alike in their natural productions, muft rfemain hidden from our ob-
iervation, until perhaps fome permanent European fettlement Ihall
be made in Van Diemen’s land.
The range of the thermometer, taken in various parts o f the port,
was at night from 4911 to 5 2 0, and -at noon from 58° to 64°.
On the 20th of November they left Port Dalrymple with a light
breeze at N. E. and proceeded very flowly to the weftward. At
day-light the following morning, the wind Ihifted to the W. by N.
which drove them back to Furneaux’s iflands, where, the gale continuing
at weft, they were kept until the 3d o f December, when they
were enabled to proceed to the weftward. The land here trended
to the W. N. W. as far as was vifible through the haze, which allowed
them only to diftinguifh that it was high and uneven. At
noon the latitude was 40° 58', and the longitude 146 ° '44'. . Their
progrefs was flow, and unavoidably at too great a diftance from the
Ihore to form any juft idea o f the country; but what was feen o f
it appeared high and mountainous, the mountains forming into
hummocks and low peaks, to which a few large Ihapelefs knobs
added a great Angularity o f appearance* On the haze clearing away,
and the (hore being diftinCtly feen, it appeared rocky, but wooded
nearly down to the water’ s edge. Here and there were feen fpaces
o f open ground, fome o f which Hoped toward the fea, and had a
few large trees growing irregularly upon them. A remarkable
peaked mountain, fome few miles inland, might have been thought,
from its lhape and height, to have been once a volcano. A very
Angular lump of high level, or table land, lay at a few miles to the
weftward in the coaft line ; and at fome diftance beyond it, a point
appeared with three knobs o f land lying off it, refembling iflands.
This land was named 'Table Cape.
To the extreme eaftern point o f this land, a fine eafterly breeze
had brought them at day-light o f the 6 th; when they found that
what
what they had on the preceding evening taken to be iflands were
three lumps or ridges of the point itfelf, leffening in bulk as they
advanced toward its feaward extremity. The very uncommon
figure of this point may perhaps be beft conceived by comparing it
to a fpear with feveral barbs. It was extremely barren and rocky.
Beyond the point, the coaft trended more northerly, but fell back
into an extenfive bay, with a fandy beach in its rear. The weftern
point o f this bay was formed by a high, fteep, and round bluff,
named Circular Head, that might eafily be taken for an ifland, but
was a peninfula. The land behind was of moderate height, and
rofe gradually from the fea. It was clothed in a poor coat of
either grafs or fhort brulh; among which were feen fome dwarf
gum trees, that appeared to be in a fickly and dying ftate, apparently
for want o f fufficient foil to expand in.
Towards noon, foon after paffmg Circular Head, the outermoft
land in fight ftretched fo far to the northward, that the courfe to
clear it was N. N. W. It formed like two hummocks, and in fleering
for it they were compelled to leave a large bight unexamined.
The coaft at its back was too diftant to form any judgment o f it,
except in the general outline. Its wefternmoft part feemed broken
, and interfeded, like iflands and gaps; but, as the wind blew frefh and
diredly into it, they paffed on.
Nothing new presented itfelf on the following day, but fome fmall
flights o f footy petrels.
On the 8th, being threatened with a gale, they came to anchor
under the land, off a fmall beach on its N. E. part, where the S. W.
wind could not moleft the veffel. Here Mr. Bafs landed to examine
the country, but found it impenetrable. The tall fturdy
brulh wood grew fo clofe that their dogs could hardly make their way
through it. Large patches appeared to have been burnt many months
ago, but the fmall brulh and creeping vinesonly were deftroyed; the
clofenefs o f the blackened faplings was Mil irrefiftible. A few
ftarved gum trees ereded their fickly heads above the brulh, and the
^ 2 whole