—_—— 
1825.] 
with. gin and tobacco ; and, notwith- 
standing their frigidity and -nonchalance, 
we were much pleased. They appear 
to be a sincere and highly hospitable 
people. Cape Town is a fine, large, 
regularly built town ; the magnificent 
Table mountain towering in the clouds 
behind, and the splendid bay of the 
same name spreading before it. The 
Dutch houses are-large beautiful man- 
sions, arid nothing can exceed the clean- 
liness, order and decency of their inte- 
rior. Wereturned on the 21st by New- 
lands, the seat of Lord Charles Somer- 
set, the present governor, 
Much has’ been ‘said about Cape 
sheep. They are of two sorts, the 
large and the small size. The small 
sort are remarkably fine and well tasted ; 
the: larger much coarser, and certainly 
not so good. The tail is one solid 
lump of hard fat; and is not fit to be 
used ‘in any other way than pie-crusts, 
frying, &c. &c., for which purposes it is 
considered vastly superior to butter. 
It generally weighs from seven to six- 
‘teen pounds: I have seen one of the 
latter weight, and was told it was one 
of the'largest. 
. -The Cape horses are beautiful 
Jiyely animals, and, although of small 
size, are admirably adapted for light 
. draught, or saddle; it is quite common 
to drive six, eight, ten or twelve-in-hand, 
and at an amazingly quick pace (what 
‘would our Four-in-hand Club think of 
this ?)—but it is singular enough, that a 
-Malay, without shoes or stockings, will 
‘drive in this way much better than his 
European master, 
Vegetables, oranges, &c., notwith- 
standing its being the middle of the 
winter, were in abundance; but owing 
to an unusual number of ships having 
-arrived in the bay, were dear for this 
-place. Beef and mutton did not ex- 
‘eeed threepence, or fourpence per 
pound, and yet after all, it is not a de- 
sirable place to live in. 
» Friday, June \\th.—The necessary 
‘repairs of the ship being completed, and 
-haying received water, provisions, and 
~vietualling: stores for twelve weeks, we 
‘sailed, from Simon’s Bay for Port Jack- 
son, New South Wales, the object of 
our voyage being still a secret. 
12th June.—Cape de : Aguillas bore 
_east quarter south, distance about eight 
Jeagues, , From the 13th to the 18th we 
_ had strong gales’and very heavy squalls, 
-which ‘carried away the wheel ropes. 
‘Edward Lovett, seaman, whilst seeur- 
ing the main-top-gallant backstay, was 
Voyage from England to Australia. 3 
washed from’ the’ maih-chatns | and 
drowned. _ sate ‘ 
Saturday, \9th' Juné.—His Majesty’s 
ship Arachne parted! company, and 
hove in sight again’ on the 23d; ex- 
changed signals, and again parted ’com- 
pany, Cape Lewin north, 87° east, dis- 
tance 312 miles. 
Wednesday, 7th July.— Passed several 
patches of sea-weed. -13th.— Had‘a 
severe ‘gale of wind, which continued 
until the 17th. —At the commencement 
of the gale, Cape Lewin bore north, 
68° east, distance 480 miles, and on its 
termination we were 37° 40’ south, 
and long. 105°. 47’. east, King’s Island, 
south, 88° 30’. east, distance 110 
miles. . 
Friday 23d July. — Made King’s 
Island, the north point of which: bore 
south and by east, distance six leagues. 
Nothing could be more delightful than 
the appearance of this island, rising from 
the bosom of the deep to a noble height, 
covered with lofty trees and beautiful 
flowering shrubs. There is a small 
establishment here ‘for the purpose of 
procuring oil and ‘seal-skins, at the 
proper seasons; and it is the entrance 
of Bass’s Straits, which divide Australia 
from “Van: Diemen’s Land, Curtis’s 
Tsland north-east and by north, three 
leagues ; Hogan’s Group west and by 
‘south quarter south, distance five 
leagues ; Kent’s Group south-west three 
quarters west, five or six leagues. Kept 
Burt’s patent sounding-machine  con- 
stantly going. These groups are nothing 
more than a parcel of misshapen barren 
rocks, rising abruptly from. the sea ‘to 
a great height, with very little vegeta- 
tion, and generally of a most grotesque 
appearance. 
25th—Boarded the Nereus brig, from 
Port’ Jackson to Port Dalrymple, Van 
Diemen’s Land. Saw the land of New 
Holland ; the high round hill at the back 
of Cape House, north-west and by west 
quarter west, fifteen leagues. Running 
‘down the coast until the 28th, when we 
entered the harbour of Port Jackson. 
This harbour is certainly amongst the 
finest I ever saw. It is about seven 
miles in length, completely landlocked, 
and secured from every wind. It is not 
strongly defended; but is capable of 
being rendered almost impregnable. 
The surrounding country is beautiful 
in the extreme; the hills rising gently 
from the water’s edge, covered with 
full-grown timber, and delightfulshrubs, 
‘interspersed With cultivated and cleared 
“land, for pasture, ‘give it: a preturesque 
Be and 
