East Coast, SfV.D.s Land.] INTRODUCTION . 
cxxiii 
some miles distance inland, there was a range of hills with wood Flinders. 
upon them, though scarcely sufficient to hide their sandy surface. 
At five in the morning of the 7th, the rocky point bore N. E. ~ N. 
six or seven miles, and the furthest visible part of the beach W. ~ S. 
The southern wind had died away in the night ; and a breeze spring- 
ing up at N. E. by E., we steered before it along the same low, 
sandy shore as seen in the evening. The hills which arose at three 
or four leagues behind the beach, appeared to retire further back as 
we advanced westward; they would, however, be visible to a ship 
in fine weather, long before the front land could be seen. 
The observed latitude at noon was 3 8° 17' south, and by two sets 
of distances of the sun east of the moon, reduced up from the 
morning, the longitude was 147 0 37' east.* The beach was six or 
seven miles distant, but after obtaining the noon's observation, we 
closed more in ; and at two or three miles off, found a sandy bottom 
with 1 1 fathoms of line. Our course along the shore from two to 
four o'clock, was S. W. \ S., with a current in our favour. The 
beach then trended more to the west ; but the breeze having veered 
to E. by N. and become strong, with much sea, it was considered too 
dangerous to follow it any longer. At five, the western and most 
considerable of two shallow-looking openings bore north-west, seven 
or eight miles ; and at sunset, some high and remarkable land was 
perceived bearing S. W. by W., which proved to be the same dis- 
covered by Mr. Bass, and now bearing the name of Wilson's Pro- 
montory. It appeared, from a partial view given by a break in the 
clouds, as if cut in two, and the parts had been removed to some 
distance from each other : the gap was probably Sealers Cove. 
The state of the weather, and the land to leeward, made it neces- 
sary to haul up south-eastward, close upon a wind. At day-break 
* It was 147° 10' ; but as I afterwards found that observations of the sun to the east 
gave 27' less, by this small five inch sextant, and those to the west 2f greater than the 
mean of both, that correction is here applied ; but not any which might be required from 
errors in the solar or lunar tables. 
