HEAVY GALE. 303 



But the sky assuming a threatening aspect, and the 

 wind increasing from the westward, we sought 

 shelter under the S.E. end of Robbin Island. 

 And it was well we did so ; for during the following 

 two days, it blew the heaviest gale we had yet met 

 with in the Strait. A succession of violent gusts 

 from the west, with loud thunder, vivid lightning, 

 and much rain, constantly reminded us of the 

 wisdom of our cautious proceeding. At Port 

 Phillip this same storm was felt very severely. 

 Such was its strength and violence, that many 

 houses were unroofed, and other damage done to a 

 large amount. It passed over both Melbourne and 

 Geelong, darkening the air with the clouds of dust 

 it bore along with it, and filling the minds of the inha- 

 bitants with the greatest terror and apprehension. 

 They called it a tornado ; and it appeared to have 

 quite the rotatory character of a hurricane. 



February 11. — We left this anchorage, and passed 

 three miles from the N.E. side of Three Hum- 

 mock Island where we found only six fathoms, 

 apparently on a bank thrown up by the tide sweep- 

 ing round its sides. From thence we steered across 

 the Strait to Sea Elephant Rock on the eastern 

 shore of King Island. We saw nothing of the 

 islands laid down by the French, thirteen leagues 

 east of it, and it was my firm belief that they had 

 no existence. Subsequent observation has confirmed 

 this belief. We however found the shoal water 

 supposed to exist thereabouts. 



The northern termination of the highland over 



