£92 HISTORY OF 



On the 13th they found the vessel had beei 

 carried in the night to leeward of a break in tin 

 land, they had seen the preceding eveninj 

 which appeared like the entrance of an harbour. 

 The north point of which was named Point St. 

 Vincent. 



In the evening they passed the S. W. cape of 

 Van Diemen's land, hitherto known as that of ? 

 New Holland. It is a narrow piece of land, 

 with two hummocks. Passing the cape, they 

 went between De Witt's Isles and the main, and 

 at sunset they were only about a mile and a half? 

 from the South Cape. 



The South West and South Capes lie nearly East 

 and West of each other, distant nearly fifteen! 

 leagues. The coast between forms the Southern 1 

 boundary of Van Diemen's land. 



The extremity of Van Diemen's land presents 

 a rugged front to the icy regions of the southh 

 pole; and seems to have extended further Southh 

 than at present. It has numerous peaks, ridges, 

 gaps and fissures, that seemed to disdain the 

 smallest uniformity of figure. Beneath this con- 

 fusion is observed an equal regularity. Lofty* 

 ridges of mountain, bounded by large cliffs, 

 project for miles into the sea, at nearly equal 

 distances from each other, with a breadth from 

 one to two miles. The bays between them arc< 

 backed by sandy beaches. These buttresses ap- 

 pear to be the southern extremities of the moun- 

 tains of Van Diemen's land. 



De Witt's Isles are twelve in number, and o\ 

 various sizes. The two largest are three or foul 



