62 
VOYAGE TO 
[South Coast. 
1803. a ship proposing to stay only a few days is under no necessity of 
January. . , 
Sundays, having recourse to the harbours. 
Monday 4. On the 4th, a fresh gale blew from the westward, and pre- 
vented me from moving the ship. A bottle, containing a parch- 
ment to inform future visitors of our arrival and intention to sail 
on the morrow, was left upon the top of Seal Island ; and the wind 
Tuesday 5. having moderated next day, and the weather become finer, though 
still squally, we then made sail out of King George's Sound, to 
prosecute the further examination of the coast. 
The refreshments we had procured, were fish and oysters. 
The seine was frequently hauled upon the different beaches ; but 
although it was done in the evening, round fires which had been 
previously kindled, little success was obtained in this way. With 
hook and line we were more fortunate, both along-side and from 
boats stationed off the rocky points ; and the whole ship's company 
had generally a fresh meal once in three or four days. Of oysters, as 
many were taken from the shoals in both harbours, as we chose to 
spare time for gathering. Our fire wood was procured from the 
north point of entrance to Princess-Royal Harbour, at the inner end 
of the long middle beach ; but the trees best calculated for sawing 
into planks were obtained at the easternmost of the two woody pro- 
jections on the south side of the harbour. A good number of planks 
and logs were taken on board, for making garden boxes to contain 
the most curious plants collected by the naturalist, and for a variety 
of other purposes. The fresh water, procured by digging near the 
tents, was a little discoloured, but good ; and it was sufficiently 
abundant for every purpose : its specific gravity was 1 ,003 at the 
temperature of 6g°. 
Captain Vancouver has described the country in the neighbour- 
hood of King George's Sound, and therefore a few observations 
upon it will suffice. The basis stone is granite, which frequently 
shows itself at the surface, in the form of smooth bare rock ; but 
upon the sea-coast hills, and the shores on the south sides of the 
