■East Coast, $ V. D. s Land.] INTRODUCTION. 
clxxi 
it from the land to the west, is, at least, two miles in width, and is Flinders 
i i • , . , and Bass, 
deep ; so that it was difficult to conjecture how the Indians were able i?gs. 
to get over to the island. It was almost certain that they had no 
canoes at Port Dalrymple, nor any means of reaching islands lying 
not more than two cables length from the shore ; and it therefore 
seemed improbable that they should possess canoes here. The small 
size of Three-hummock Island rendered the idea of fixed inhabitants 
inadmissible ; and whichever way it was considered, the presence of 
men there was a problem difficult to be resolved.* 
The coast on the west side of the channel lies nearly south, and rises 
in height as it advances towards the cliffy head, set on the 6th p. m. 
The north end of this land is a sloping, rocky point ; and the first pro- 
jection which opened round it, was at S. 32 0 W., five or six miles. Be- 
yond this there was nothing like main land to be seen ; indeed, this 
western land itself had very little the appearance of being such, either 
in its form, or in its poor, starved vegetation. So soon as we had 
passed the north sloping point, a long swell was perceived to come 
from the south-west, such as we had not been accustomed to for some 
time. It broke heavily upon a small reef, lying a mile and a half from 
the point, and upon all the western shores ; but, although it was likely 
to prove troublesome, and perhaps dangerous, Mr. Bass and myself 
hailed it with joy and mutual congratulation, as announcing the com- 
pletion of our long-wished-for discovery of a passage into the South- 
ern Indian Ocean. 
We had a fine breeze at east ; and our course was directed for a 
small, rocky island which lies W. ~N. 6 miles from the north point 
of the barren land. This island appeared to be almost white with 
birds ; and so much excited our curiosity and hope of procuring a 
* Future visitants to these islands have seen the Indians passing over in bodies, by 
swimming, similar to those whom Dampier saw on the north-west coast of New Hol- 
land. Why the natives of Port Dalrymple should not have had recourse to the same 
expedient, where the distance to be traversed is so much less, seems incomprehensible. 
