ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [January, 



concurring circumftances (hewed that this convenience was unknown 

 here. Hence, from the little that has been feen of the condition of 

 our own fpecies in this place, it appears to be much inferior in fome 

 effential points of convenience to that of the defpifed inhabitants of the 

 continent. How miferable a being would the latter be, were his 

 canoe taken from him, his ftone hatchet blunted, his hut pervious to 

 the fmalleft fhower of rain, and few or no excavations in the rocks to 

 fly to ! but happinefs, like every thing elfe, exifts only by compari- 

 fon with the ftage above and the ftage below our own. The circum- 

 ftances which occaftoned this difference between the people of two 

 countries fo near each other, and fo much alike in their natural pro- 

 ductions, muft remain hidden from our obfervation, until perhaps 

 fome permanent European fettlement mall be made in Van Diemen's 

 land. 



The range of the thermometer, taken in various parts of the port, 

 was at night from 49° to 52 0 , and at noon from 5 8° to 64°. 



On the 20th of November they left Port Dalrymple, and proceeded 

 to the weftward ; but, the wind changing, they were driven back to 

 Turneaux's iflands, where, the gale continuing at weft, they were de- 

 tained until the 3d of December, when they were enabled to proceed. 

 Their progrefs was flow, and unavoidably at too great a cliftance from 

 the ftiore to form any juft idea of the country ; but what was feen of 

 it appeared high and mountainous, the mountains forming into hum- 

 mocks and low peaks, to which a few large fhapelefs knobs added a 

 great Angularity of appearance. On the haze clearing away, and the 

 more being diftinctly feen, it appeared rocky, but wooded nearly 

 down to the water's edge. A remarkable peaked mountain, fome few 

 miles inland, might have been thought, from its mape and height, to 

 have been once a volcano. A very Angular lump of high level, or 

 table land, lay at a few miles to the weftward in the coaft line ; and at 

 fome di (lance beyond it, a point appeared with three knobs of land 

 lying off it, refembling iilands. This was named Table Cape. From 

 this time nothing of moment occurred till the 1 ith, when they 



ft retched 



