RETURN TO SYDNEY. 161 



took US eleven days to make g'ood less than 800 

 miles. The land was in sig'ht during* the greater 

 portion of this time^ and we had a good view of the 

 noble mountain-range of Timor^ also of Eottee and 

 the Strait of Semao^ which last we entered with the 

 intention of passing- through^ but the wind headed 

 us and we had to pass to the southward of E,ottee. 

 For a few days after leaving Port Essington we 

 experienced very lig'lit and variable winds^ which 

 gradually settled into south-westerly^ with occa- 

 sional gloomy blowing weather and frequent squalls 

 at nio'ht. 



At length on January 24th^ 1849^ a long- and 

 monotonous passage of sixty-eight days brought us 

 to Sydney^ from which we had been absent for nine 

 months. 



VOL. I. M 



