27^ WALKER ISLAND. 



north; but from the rocks and inlets that encumber 

 the passage and the rapid rush of the tide it is 

 only navigable for small vessels with great caution. 

 Point Woolnorth is a rather low sloping point 

 composed of the same rock as Hunter Island. Ten 

 miles south of it a raised beach again occurs 100 

 feet above the level of the sea. Behind Point 

 Woolnorth the country swells into hills nearly six 

 hundred feet high. Three miles from its extreme 

 is an out-station of the Van Diemen's Land 

 Agricultural Company, of which I shall say more 

 anon. Some forty persons are here located under 

 the care of a German, who amused himself by 

 making a large collection of insects, which he has 

 since taken to Germany. The soil on this extre- 

 mity of Tasmania is most productive ; but much 

 labour is required in clearing for the purposes of 

 cultivation. From thence to Circular Head, bear- 

 ing E. ^ S. 26 miles, the shore is low and sinuous, 

 formino' three shallow bio^hts. Walker and Robbins 

 islands, which lie together in the shape of an 

 equilateral triangle, with sides of nine miles, fi'ont 

 the coast about midway, and leave only a narrow 

 boat channel between them and the main. 



On Walker Island our boats met the wives 

 of some sealers whose husbands had gone 

 to King Island on a sealing excursion. They were 

 clothed like those on New Year Island. One was 

 half European and half Tasmanian, and by no 

 means ill-looking; she spoke very good English and 



