PORT WESTERN. 293 



Leaving Port Phillip, we surveyed the coast to 

 the eastward, and anchored in the entrance of Port 

 Western, after dark on the 10th. Next morning 

 we examined the south-west part of Grant island, 

 and moved the ship to a more secure anchorage off 

 its N. E. point. Port Western is formed between 

 Grant and French islands in rather a remarkable 

 manner : two great bays lie one within the other, 

 the inner being nearly filled up by French island, 

 whilst the outer is sheltered by Gi'ant island, stretch- 

 ing across it almost from point to point, and leaving 

 a wide ship-channel on its western side, whilst on the 

 eastern the passage is narrow and fit only for boats 

 and small vessels. 



Gales between N. W. and S. W. detained us here 

 until the 19th. We found water by digging on the 

 N. E. extreme of Grant Island, which at high tide 

 is a low sandy islet. On first landing there, we 

 found in a clump of bushes a kangaroo, very dark- 

 coloured, indeed almost black. His retreat being 

 cut off he took to the water, and before a boat could 

 reach him, sank. This not only disappointed but 

 surprised us ; for in Tasmania a kangaroo has been 

 known to swim nearly two miles. Black swans 

 were very numerous, and it being the moulting 

 season, were easily run down by the boats. Their 

 outstretched necks and the quick flap of their wings 

 as they moved along, reminded us forcibly of a 

 steam boat. At this season of the year when the 

 swans cannot fly, a great act of cruelty is practised 



