T A S 



Proawr's Bay the coast is high and rocky, except at Sand- 

 spit, where it is low, and forms a shallow cove. Prower's 

 Bay is of good size, being three miles wide at its entrance, 

 and extending in two arms five miles inland. There are 

 several shoals in it, but it bus good anchorage, especially m 

 the northern arm. Between 1'rosser's Bay and Cape Bailly 

 the coast is high, rocky, and well wooded. At ( 'ape Bailly 

 begins Oyster Buy, the largest of the bays of Tasmania: it 

 miles long from south to north, and l.~i miles wide at 

 the entrance, but it narrows gradually towards the north, 

 being at its northern recess 10 miles across. It contains 

 good anchoring-ground, and is tolerably safe, for though it 

 is open towards the south, the island of Maria and several 

 smaller islands in that direction break the swell of the sea. 

 The surrounding country is hilly and well wooded. Near 

 Cape Bailly is Little Swan Port, a moderately extensive 

 ba.-m with a shallow entrance. It admits only boats. The 

 western shores of Oyster Bay are high and steep, and may 

 be approached with safety. On the northern side of the 

 bay is a tongue of land less than a mile wide. It consists 

 of" low sand-hills, and terminates on the east at a nar- 

 row and shallow channel, which leads northward to an arm 

 of the sea, which winds through a low country for more 

 than 10 miles. This arm of the sea is shallow, and called 

 Moulting Lagoon. The eastern side of Oyster Bay is 

 formed by Vanderlin's Peninsula and Schouten's Island. 

 Vanderlin's Peninsula is nearly 12 miles long, and consists 

 of two masses of rocky mountains, united by a low sandy 

 neck, about one mile and a half long and one mile and a 

 half wide, on which is a small fresh-water lake. To the 

 west of this neck is Refuge Bay, and to the east Thouin Bay. 

 ' The first is a safe harbour, but the second is open and 

 rather shallow. Another low and sandy neck about three 

 miles long and a mile wide connects Vanderlin's Peninsula 

 with the main body of Tasmania. The mountains of the 

 southern massof Vanderlin's Peninsula are the highest in the 



Eeninsula. Schouten's Island is separated from that peninsula 

 y Geographe Strait, which is nearly three miles long and 

 about one mile and a half wide on an average : there is 

 good anchorage in the strait. Schouten's Island has nearly 

 the form of a square, and extends about four miles m every 

 direction. On its southern side, in Faure Bay, there is 

 anchoring-ground. The island consists of a mass of 

 rock, descending on the east with a steep declivity to the 

 water's edge, but on the west with a gentle well-wooded 

 slope. 



South of Oyster Bay is the island of Maria, which is 

 about 12 miles long, and consists of two large masses of 

 rocks connected by a neck of land. The northern mass 

 extends 7 miles from east to west, and consists of elevated 

 mountains, the highest part of which, called the Bishop 

 and Clerk, is about 3500 feet above the sea-level. The 

 declivity of the mountains towards the east is very steep 

 and terminates on the beach ; but the slope is gentle 

 towards the west, where it leaves a broad level tract along 

 the sea, which is sandy and scantily wooded. The low 

 sandy neck south of it is only 300 paces across, and about 

 two miles long. On the west of it is Oyster Bay, which is 

 well sheltered and has good anchorage, but is shallow 

 near the land ; and on the east of the neck is Reidle Bay, 

 which is deeper, but has a rocky bottom, and is exposed to 

 the easterly and southerly winds. The southern peninsula 

 of Maria Island is one mass of rocks, rather well wooded, 

 which descends towards the east in precipices and towards 

 the west with a gentle slope. The strait which divides 

 Maria Island from the mainland is about five miles wide on 

 an average, and is nearly equal to D'Entrecasteaux Channel 

 in the advantages which it affords to navigation, having 

 good anchorage-ground, and being generally well protected 

 against the winds and swell of the sea. North of Maria 

 Island, towards the entrance of Oyster Bay, is a, small 

 island, White Rock, to which seals resort in great num- 

 bers. 



The remainder of the eastern coast, beginning at Cape 

 Tourville on the south, is as difficult of access as the 

 western coast of Tasmania. In an extent of more than 

 100 miles not one harbour occurs which can be entered 

 by vessels of moderate size, and even small craft find only 

 three or four places where they can anchor with safety. 

 The coast between Cape Tourville and Eddystone Point is 

 elevated and rocky, and always beaten by a heavy surf. 

 Sou'h of Cape Lodi the hills are barren and generally 

 destitute of trees. - m Farther north however they are still 



> T A S 



more elevated, but tolerably well wooded. Between Eddy- 

 stone Point and Cape Portland the shores consist of a low 

 tract of considerable width : the soil is sandy and of indif- 

 ferent fertility. The woods which cover it conMst of short, 

 crooked trees. This part of the coast is beset with shoals, 

 and cannot be approached with safety. 



The northern coast of Tasmania extends from Cape 

 Portland on the east to Cape Grim on the west, and is 

 about 1W) miles long in a straight line, but following the 

 coast it measures more than 220 miles. North of this 

 coast is Bass's Strait, at the eastern entrance of which 

 is the group of the Fumcaux Islands, which consist of two 

 larger inlands, lour of moderate si/c. and many smaller 

 islands. The larger. Great Island, extends -10 miles nearly 

 due south and north, and is on an average nine miles long, 

 so that its surface maybe estimated at Mi() square n 

 or somewhat more than that of the Scotch island of Islay. 

 The interior of the island is mountainous, and the moun- 

 tains advance on the west side close to the sea, but leave 

 a tract of low ground along the eastern shore, which is 

 sandy and in some parts swampy. South of Great Island 

 is Cape Barren Island, which extend* from east to west 

 about 20 miles, with an average width of about five miles. 

 It consists of several isolated masses of rocks connected by 

 low grounds. These islands, as well as the smaller islands, 

 are generally mountainous and rather high ; they con- 

 tain many low tracts of considerable extent, but the soil is 

 sandy, swampy, and in general of indifferent quality. 

 Trees are not abundant, and only of stunted growth. The 

 surface is chiefly covered with thick bushes, coarse wire- 

 grass, and a kind of Chenopodium, the ashes of which 

 may be used in the manufacture of soap. Fresh water is 

 scarce. These islands are always surrounded by great 

 numbers of seals, and are resorted to by many v> 

 from Sydney and other places. The strait which di- 

 vides Furneaux Islands from Tasmania is called Banks's 

 Strait. It is 10 miles wide, and contains no hidden 

 dangers, but as the current sets through it with great 

 rapidity from cast to west, it is not much used : the vessels 

 that sail to and from Sidney generally pass through Kent 

 Strait, or the middle strait of "the three which constitute 

 the eastern entrance of Bass's Strait. This strait is 24 

 miles wide between Great Island and Kent Group, and in 

 general free from dangers. The western current which 

 runs through it is moderate. 



The coast from Cape Portland on the east to Port Dal- 

 rymple at the mouth of the river Tamar is low and sandy, 

 with the exception of some sandy hills at and between 

 East and West Double Sandy Points, and the high cape of 

 Stony Head, which consists of elevated rock)- masses over- 

 grown with grass. The shores are either cntirelv barren 

 or covered with short bushes. In a few places there are 

 swamps, and in others some flat and low rocks of small 

 extent. The bays have in general sufficient depth of 

 water and good anchorage-ground, but being wide and 

 open, they do not afford security against winds and the 

 swell of the sea. The largest is Ringarooma Bay, west of 

 Cape Portland. 



Port Dalrymple is the best harbour on the northern 

 shores, though it cannot be compared with the harbours 

 on the south-eastern coast. Before its entrance on the 

 west is the dangerous reef called Hcbes Reef, and even in 

 the sea-reach, which is two miles wide and six long, there 

 are some shoals. The navigation is tedious and difficult, 

 but the Tamar is deep enough for large vessels as far as 

 Launceston, 'M miles from Port Dalrymple in a straight 

 line. West of Port Dalrymple the coast is high, being 

 formed by elevated and wooded hills, the highest of which 

 are called the Asbestos Hills. To the west of these hills is 

 Port Sorell, which is rather spacious and has good anchor- 

 age, but is difficult of access. Between Port Sorell and 

 Port Frederick the shores are low, and about half a mile 

 from the sea is a narrow lagoon, which occupies more than 

 half of the space between the two harbours. Port Fre- 

 derick, or the spstuary of the river Mersey, resembles Port 

 Sorell. From this harbour to Penguin Point, west of the 

 mouth of Leven nver, the coast is generally rocky and high, 

 but intersected by the mouths of several rivers, which how- 

 ever do not admit even boats, excel)! the Leven, which 

 may be ascended by boats to the distance of six miles from 

 the sea. From Penguin Point to Circular Head the coast 

 presents an alternation of high and low shores. The low 

 shores are sandy or swampy, and generally covered with 



