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INTRODUCTION. 
[Prior Discoveries. 
Flinders bearings of Maatsuyker's Isles and the different headlands, we hore 
1798. ' away eastward, and passed another deep, sandy bight, probably the 
same in which Mr. Cox anchored in 1789. At two o'clock, the 
South-west Cape, distant 15 or 16 miles, bore W. 2 0 S. 
A steep head at the furthest extreme, which 
proved to be the South Cape, - - S. 72 E.* 
At this time we were one mile within, or north of the largest of the 
islands ; and saw with some surprise, for it is three miles from the 
main, that its grassy vegetation had been burnt. From hence we 
steered for the easternmost isle, lying off a wide open bight in the 
coast, and afterwards hauled up for the South Cape. The wind died 
away at six o'clock, when the Cape was one mile distant ; but thick 
clouds were gathering in the south and west, and strong gusts with 
heavy rain presently succeeded. Fortunately, the squalls came from 
the westward, so that we were enabled to get further from those 
stupendous cliffs ; had they come from the south, the consequences 
might have been fatal to the Norfolk. 
The first steep head, to the eastward of the South Cape, opened 
* The magnetic bearing of the South-west Cape was W. 5° S., and that of the South 
Cape E. 15° S. The true variation I believe to have been 8°E. ; but as the sloop's head 
was at east, no more than 3° are allowed, from a system which will be hereafter explained. 
It seemed necessary to say this, because the formation of the south end of Van Diemen's 
Land in my chart, differs from that given by captain Cook, and from those of most 
others. 
In Bayly's Astronomical Observations, page 192, it appears that six sets of variations 
were observed on board the Resolution, Mar. 24, 1777, off the South Cape ; the mean 
result of which was 4° 43' east. Next morning six other sets were taken near the same 
place, and the mean variation came out 10° 8' east. In captain King's journal, I found 
the same observations entered, and that the ship's head was E. by N. | N. in the first 
ease, and N. W. by W. in the second. This, with the example in the Francis, page 
exxvi, and that in the Norfolk on the preceding page, may serve to show, for the 
present, that corrections are required to the variation, according to the direction of the 
vessel's head. 
