08 FOUNDATION OF THE COLONY. 



near the rim of fresli water which stole silently 

 along' throug-h a very thick wood^ the stillness of 

 which had then_, for the first time since the creation^ 

 been interrupted by the rude sound of the labourer's 

 axe^ and the downfall of its ancient inhabitants y a 

 stillness and tranquillit}^ which from that day were 

 to giA^e place to the voice of labour^ the confusion 

 of camps^ and the busy hum of its new possessors."* 



Finding- that there was yet some time to spare before 

 the arrival of the usual period for leaving- Sydney to 

 pass throug-h Torres Strait^ Captain Stanley resolved 

 upon acting' in accordance with the expressed wishes 

 of the Colonial Government^ that he should make 

 an inspection of the various lig-hthouses in Bass' 

 Strait^ and for that purpose sailed from S3'dney on 

 February 2nd, with the Rattlesnake and Bramble. 

 The Asp and one of the g-allej^s accompanied us as 

 far as Botany Bay^ which the}" v.ere to be em- 

 ployed in surveying' during' our absence^ under the 

 orders of Lieut. Simpson. 



On February 8th^ we passed between Kent's and 

 Hog-an's g-roups (in Bass' Strait) • the lighthouse 

 on the former of these^ perched upon a hill 829 

 feet hig'h^ is admirably situated^ and although the 

 night was rather hazy^ the light (revolving) shone 

 out with great brilliance^ and was afterwards seen 

 from the Bramble's deck^ when thirtj'-seven miles 

 distant. We caught^ in the narrows of the Strait^ 



* Collins's New South Wales, 2ncl edit. p. 10. 



