East Coast, Sf V. D. s Land.'] INTRODUCTION. 
cixxxiii 
Caves ; but from the eggs of gulls found upon both, I judge they do Flinders 
r , and Bass. 
not go often. , 798 . 
Dec. 16, we anchored two miles to the south-east of Smooth 
Island, in 6 fathoms, near a point of the main where a round hill 
afforded me a good view of this extensive bay. The country there 
is stony and barren, though covered with wood and much frequented 
by kanguroos. In the evening, the appearance of a southern gale 
induced me to shift our berth to the north side of the point ; between 
which, and an islet lying half a mile from it, the depth was 5 to 7 
fathoms. 
On the 17th, we landed upon the islet, and killed some out of the 
many gulls by which it is frequented. A small arm of the bay ex- 
tending north-eastward, where we hoped to obtain fresh water, was 
the object of our examination in the afternoon. There was a little 
stream falling in at the head, but rocks prevented it from being 
accessible to boats, or to a raft ; and a walk of perhaps a mile to the 
eastward, afforded nothing but the sight of a stony country, and of a 
few miserable huts. Our greyhound started a kanguroo, but it was 
lost in the wood ; and there were no birds to shoot. 
Dec. 18, the wind still blowing fresh from the westward, we 
worked up to Smooth Island ; and then stretched over to the south 
side of the bay. The soundings were generally 9 fathoms, on mud 
and sand, to within a mile of the shore ; and at half a mile, where 
the anchor was dropped, the depth was 4 fathoms. 
We landed at a steep, but not high point near the sloop, where I 
took some bearings, and observed the meridian altitude of the moon 
in an artificial horizon, which gave the latitude 43° 1^'; Mr. Bass, in 
the mean time, walked a little distance inland, but saw nothing of 
particular interest. Some further bearings were taken next morning, 
from a head lying to the west ; after which the anchor was weighed, 
and we steered northward along the west side of the bay, with 
soundings from 8 to 4 fathoms. In the evening, we had worked 
