INTRODUCTION. 
{Prior Discoveries. 
throw in much sea : the bottom is good-holding sand, in from 4 to 3 
fathoms, at a quarter of a mile from the beach, 
The ship Sydney Cove had been run on shore between Preserva- 
tion and Rum Islands, and part of her hull was still lying there ; 
but the sea thrown in by western gales had, in great measure, broken 
her up, and scattered the beams, timbers, and parts of the cargo, 
upon all the neighbouring shores. 
My purpose of making an expedition amongst the islands was 
delayed by the schooner's boat being out of repair; but in the mean 
time, a base line was measured round the sandy north-east end of 
Preservation Island, and angles taken from all the conspicuous 
points. 
Feb. 16. The boat was fitted, and I made an excursion of five 
days, through the channel which separates the land of Cape Barren 
from the more southern islands. It is called Armstrong's Chan- 
nel, from the master of the Supply, who had gone to afford assist- 
ance in saving the cargo of the Sydney Cove, and was the first to 
pass through it on his return towards Port Jackson ; but he never 
arrived there, having, in all probability, perished at sea with his 
sloop and crew. The stations whence angles were taken for a 
survey of the channel and surrounding lands, were — 1st. Point 
Womat, a rocky projection of Cape-Barren Island, where a number 
of the new animals, called womat, were seen, and some killed. 2nd. 
Battery Island; so named from four rocks upon it, resembling 
mounted guns ; sooty petrels, and large hair seals were found there. 
3rd. The sandy north-east point of Clarke's Island ; which, withlthe 
opposite Sloping Point, forms the narrowest part of the channel. 
Its width was found to be three-quarters of a mile, but is somewhat 
contracted by rocks lying on the south side. These rocks were 
also frequented by hair seals, and some of them (the old males) 
were of an enormous size, and of extraordinary power. I levelled 
my gun at one, which was sitting on the top of a rock with his nose 
