East Coast, $ V. D. 's Land.} INTRODUCTION. 
cxxxvii 
circumstance of there being none upon the islands, seemed to argue Flinders. 
a junction of Van Diemen's Land with New South Wales ; for it was 
difficult to suppose, that men should have reached the more distant 
land, and not have attained the islands intermediately situated ; nor 
was it admissible that, having reached them, they had perished for 
want of food. On the other hand, the great strength of the tides 
setting westward, past the islands, could only be caused by some ex- 
ceedingly deep inlet, or by a passage through to the southern Indian 
Ocean. These contradictory circumstances were very embarrassing ; 
and the schooner not being placed at my disposal, I was obliged, to 
my great regret, to leave this important geographical question 
undecided. 
At the time we veered to the northward, the coast of Van Diemen's 
Land was about three miles distant, and the furthest extreme, a low 
point, bore S. 15 0 E. two or three leagues. On repassing Cape- 
Barren Point at four o'clock, I obtained two sets of distances of the 
sun west of the moon, to pair with others of the sun on the east side, 
taken on the 10th, also within sight of the Cape. The mean result, 
freed from the errors of the tables, gave its longitude 148 0 20' E; 
being 14' more than is assigned to it by captain Furneaux, but 5^-' 
less than what appears to be its real situation. 
Nothing worthy of notice occurred in our passage back to Port 
Jackson : we made Hat Hill on March 7, and on the 9th, anchored 
in Sydney Cove. 
Mr. Bass had been returned a fortnight from his expedition in the 
whale boat ; and he communicated all his notes and observations to 
be added to my chart. There seemed to want no other proof of the 
existence of a passage between New South Wales and Van Diemen's 
Land, than that of sailing positively through it ; but however anxious 
I was to obtain this proof, the gratification of my desire was required 
to be suspended by a voyage to Norfolk Island in the Reliance. 
vol. 1. 
T 
