EXTRAORDINARY SOUNDINGS. 297 



land before-mentioned. A liofht N.E. wind rendered 

 our progress slow towards Cape Patterson, we reach- 

 ing it by daylight of the 20th. It is a low point, 

 covered with scattered sand hillocks ; a few rocky 

 patches here and there front its sand beach. 



Finding from the succession of dense fogs that we 

 could not prosecute an easterly examination of the 

 coast, we returned towards Port Phillip, and expe- 

 rienced some unusual swells off Port Western. 

 The soundings were in general tolerably regular ; 

 but in the same neighbourhood we had some extra- 

 ordinary ones — seventy fathoms, on a gravelly bot- 

 tom. This was nearly one third of the way across 

 from Grant Island to Cape Shanck, seven miles 

 from the latter. The same strange depth was 

 likewise found three miles south from Cape Wol- 

 lami, with the same kind of gravel bottom, or a 

 very fine kind of shingle. It was a single cast of the 

 lead. On either side in this last case were 39 and 

 33 fathoms fine sand and shells. Had it not been 

 for the change in the quality of the bottom, I 

 should have doubted so great a depth, which is the 

 more remarkable from its being the greatest within 

 the Strait. 



The next day towards evening we again anchored 

 in Hobson's Bay, where we staid till the 23rd. This 

 time in getting out of Port Phillip through the 

 southern channel, we met with an accident. I have 

 before mentioned the difficulty of seeing the eastern 

 part of the north bank, which, on this occasion. 



