54 A VOYAGE TO [South Coast. 
1801. we had sounded round the ship and found her so placed as to require 
w^dr™s be y. n0 immediate movement, I went in a boat for the purpose, accom- 
panied by the master and landscape painter; the naturalist, and some 
other gentlemen landing at the same time, to botanise in the vicinity 
of Bald Head. 
(Atlas, Seal Island, where we stopped in passing, is a mass of granite, 
Plate XVII. . . 
View 4.) which is accessible only at its western end, as represented in Mr. 
WestaH's sketch. After killing a few seals upon the shore, we 
ascended the hill to search for the bottle and parchment left by 
captain Vancouver in 1791 ;* but could find no vestiges either of it 
or of the staff or pile of stones ; and since there was no appearance 
of the natives having crossed over from the main, I was led to sus- 
pect that a second ship had been here before us. 
At Point Possession, on the south side of the entrance to 
Princess-Royal Harbour, we had a good view of that extensive piece 
of water. Wood seemed not to be abundant near the shores ; and 
therefore a projection two or three miles to the south-west, which 
was covered with trees, first attracted my notice. The depth of 
water in going to it was, however, too little for the ship ; nor was 
there any fresh stream in the neighbourhood. Some person, but 
not captain Vancouver, had nevertheless been cutting wood there ; 
for several trees had been felled with axe and saw. Not far from 
thence stood a number of bark sheds, like the huts of the natives 
who live in the forests behind Port Jackson, and forming what might 
be called a small village ; but it had been long deserted. Going 
across from the woody point to the north side of the harbour, we 
there found 3 fathoms within less than half a mile of the shore ; and 
an increasing depth from thence out to the entrance. The sound- 
ings in the entrance were from 5 to 7 fathoms ; but the channel was 
too narrow to admit of getting in without a leading wind and much 
caution. 
Thursd. 10. On Thursday morning, the master was sent to examine the 
* See his Voyage, Vol. I. page 40. 
