May 1829. cutter safe — beagle hills. 



233 



the cutter, and fell asleep: but before daylight I was roused bv 

 some one, and to my joy, saw Mr. Stokes standing by me. He 

 had just arrived with the cutter, having kept his wind till 

 the sea fell ; and since that time had been pulling towards this 

 spot : with what thankful feelings all hands lay down to sleep 

 may be easily supposed. 



" 21st. This morning I believe no one waked before ten 

 ©""clock. Drying our clothes, and putting the boats to rights, 

 occupied most of the day. Our time was now so short, besides 

 having almost expended our provisions, that I gave up the idea 

 of crossing the Otway Water, and decided to return nearly the 

 way we came, after taking a view from the higher ground. 



" 22d. A sharp frost, during the past night and this day, 

 hardened the ground, and with four of my boat's crew, I 

 walked to the Beagle Hills. Our way led through a scattered 

 wood, the only one seen on the north side of the channel, and 

 in which most of the trees appeared to have been burned. We 

 gained the summit of the heights soon after noon, and were 

 amply rewarded by an extensive view. 



" Although not more than eight hundred feet above the 

 sea, I could discern the Gregory Hills (so plainly as to make 

 out their yellowish brown colour) ; Cape Bartholomew, Nassau 

 Island ; Cape Monmouth ; the high peaks over Cape Froward ; 

 the range of mountains thence to the Jerome Channel, and from 

 the Jerome, westward to all those about Cape Phillip, and 

 Cape Parker ; and the whole extent of the Otway and Skyring 

 Waters; the latter being bounded to the N.W. by down-like 

 hills, about six or eight hundred feet high. North of the Beagle 

 Hills, a range of similar downs extended ; and to the east was 

 a succession of lagoons, completely intersecting the flat country 

 towards Pecket Harbour. 



" We left a memorial, cut in lead, at the foot of a post sunk 

 in the ground ; but the air was so cold, that the men, Avho 

 wished to add their names, were unable to mark them on the 

 lead. It was eight oVlock before we regained our bivouac, 

 much fatigued by the day's work. 



" 23d. I went into a wigwam, where there was a woman 



