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INTRODUCTION. 
[Prior Discoveries, 
Bass. observed to be 37 0 30'. In the evening he landed at the entrance of 
a lagoon, one mile north of the Ram Head, in order to take in as 
much fresh water as possible ; for it was to be feared that a want of 
this necessary article might oblige him to discontinue his pursuit, at 
a time when, from the coast being unexplored, it would become 
more than ever interesting. 
Dec. 21. A gale set in at W. S. W., and continued for nine days 
without intermission. This time was employed in examining the 
country, which, though hilly in external appearance, was found to 
be mostly low, sandy, and wet. The hills have a slight covering of 
green upon them, but consist of little else than sand ; and from what 
could be seen of the back country, the soil there is scarcely better. 
The vallies are overgrown with long grass, ferns, brush-wood, and 
climbing plants, so as to be almost impenetrable ; yet even there the 
soil is good for nothing. 
At every landing place, from Jervis Bay to Barmouth Creek, the 
fresh water had been observed to diminish both in quantity and qua- 
lity ; and upon this coast of sand the difficulty of procuring it was 
expected to be very great. It was, on the contrary, plentiful ; there 
being many little runs which drained out from the sand hills, and 
either trickled over the rocky spots at their feet, or sank through the 
beaches into the sea. 
The western gale being at length succeeded by a breeze at E. N. E., 
Mr. Bass left the Ram Head early on the 31st. His course was 
W. by S., close to a low, sandy coast ; the beach being interrupted by 
small, rocky points, not oftener than once in ten or fifteen miles. 
The back land consisted of short ridges of irregular hills, lying at 
no great distance from the sea. At noon, the latitude was 37 0 42'; 
and the distance run from the Ram Head, by computation, was thirty 
or thirty-five miles. 
The furthest land seen by captain Cook, is marked at fifteen 
leagues from the Ram Head, and called Point Hicks ; but at dusk 
Mr. Bass had run much more than that distance close along the 
