East Coast, 8f V. D .s Land.'] INTRODUCTION. 
Ixxxix 
" though natives of a country capable of producing every necessary Furneaux. 
" of life, and a climate the finest in the world. We found not the 1773 ' 
" least sign of any minerals or metals." 
After remaining five days in Adventure Bay, captain Furneaux 
sailed along the coast to the northward, in order to discover whe- 
ther Van Diemen's Land were joined to New South Wales. He 
passed the Maria's, Schouten's, and Vanderlin's Islands of Tasman, 
at some distance ; and then, closing more in with the coast, he found 
the land to be low and even, and of an agreeable aspect, " but no 
" signs of a harbour or bay, where a ship might anchor in safety." 
In latitude 40 0 50', the coast, from running nearly north, turned to 
the westward, and, as captain Furneaux thought, formed a deep bay. 
From thence to " 39 0 50', is nothing but islands and shoals ; the 
" land high, rocky, and barren." In the course northward, past these 
islands, he had regular soundings, from 15 to 30 fathoms, though 
no land was visible; it was, however, seen again (or thought to be 
so) in latitude 39°, and nearly due north from the islands. The 
bottom then becoming uneven, our navigator discontinued his course, 
and steered for New Zealand. 
Whether Van Diemen's Land were, or were not, joined to New 
South Wales, was a question not yet resolved ; but captain Furneaux 
gave it as his opinion, " that there is no strait between New Hol- 
" land and Van Diemen's Land, but a very deep bay." 
Cook. 
The next visitor to Van Diemen's Land was captain James Cook, 
with his Majesty's ships Resolution and Discovery. He made the 17 ^" 
South-west Cape on Jan. 24, 1777, and steered eastward along the 
shore, as captain Furneaux had done, but generally at a greater 
distance : on the 26th he anchored in Adventure Bay. 
Captain Cook's account of this bay agrees nearly with that of 
Furneaux ; but he there procured abundance of fish, and had fre- 
quent communication with the natives : his description of them coin- 
cides, generally, with what has been recited in Marion's voyage 
vol. 1. N 
