clx 
INTRODUCTION. 
{Prior Discoveries. 
Flinders W. N. W., and blew a fresh gale. This soon raised a high sea, and 
an i798. SS " reduced us to a close-reefed main sail and jib ; nor were we without 
apprehensions of the shore for the following night, so much did the 
sloop drive to leeward. On the 22nd at noon the gale was more 
moderate, the wind at W. by S., and the weather permitted an obser- 
vation to be taken for the latitude ; it was 4,0° 13', and we had land 
bearing E. N. E. about three leagues distant. So soon as I had satis- 
fied myself that this could be no other than the hilly land lying five 
leagues to the northward of the Chappell Isles, we bore away before 
the sea ; and by carrying all sail, secured an anchorage in Hamilton's 
Road before dark. 
It was not safe to move on the 23rd, and there being a lunar 
eclipse announced in the ephemeris to take place in the following 
night, I landed to observe it with the telescope of the sextant. The 
times at which the beginning and end happened by the watch, being 
corrected from altitudes of the stars Rigel and Sirius observed in an 
artificial horizon, gave 148° 37^' for the uncorrected longitude of 
Preservation Island ; which is 37' more than was deduced from 
the lunar distances in the Francis. The penumbra attending the 
earth's shadow is usually supposed to render this observation uncer- 
tain to two or three minutes of time, or more than half a degree of 
longitude. 
Nov. 24. The gale had subsided to a moderate breeze, and we 
tried to beat back to the westward ; but finding too much sea, bore 
away into Armstrong's Channel to speak the commander of the 
Nautilus ; that, through him, governor Hunter might be informed 
of our discoveries thus far, and of the delays experienced from the 
western winds. I was happy to find captain Bishop proceeding suc- 
cessfully in his sealing business, though slower than he might have 
done, had the anchorage been nearer to the eastern points.* 
* Nine thousand skins of the first quality, with several tons of oil, were procured by the 
Nautilus, and Furneaux's Islands have since been frequented by small vessels from Port 
Jackson upon the same errand, Unfortunately, this species of fishery is soon exhausted in 
