Recherche' s Archipelago.-] TERRA AUSTRALIS. $ 
seeing a small bay in the north side of Middle Island, we stood ^so^ 
in for it under shortened sail, and came to an anchor in 7 fathoms, Thurs. 14. 
sandy bottom, off' the first of three small beaches. The island 
sheltered us from east-north-east, round by the south to west-by- 
north ; and to the northward there was, besides the main land, a 
number of reefs and small isles, of which the nearest and largest 
was a quarter of a mile distant, as Middle Island was on the other 
side. The master was immediately sent to examine the passage 
through to the eastward, that we might know whether there were 
a possibility of escape in case the anchor should not hold ; for the 
wind blew fresh at west-south-west, and threw some swell into the 
bay : he found 3 fathoms in the shallow part of the opening. 
The botanists landed in the morning upon Middle Island ; for Friday 15. 
I had determined to stop a day or two, as well for their accommoda- 
tion as to improve my chart of the archipelago. I went to the 
northern island, which is one mile long and near half a mile in 
breadth, and found it to be covered with tufts of wiry grass inter- 
mixed with a few shrubs. Some of the little, blue pinguins, like 
those of Bass' Strait, harboured under the bushes ; and amongst the 
grass and upon the shores were a number of the bernacle geese, of 
which we killed nine, mostly with sticks ; and sixteen more were 
procured in the course of the day. 
After taking bearings from the uppermost of the small eleva- 
tions of Goose Island, as it was now named, I ascended the high 
north-western hill of Middle Island, which afforded a more extensive 
view. The furthest visible part of the main land was a projecting 
cape, with a broad- topped hill upon it bearing N. 58 0 E., six or 
seven leagues. This projection not having been seen by D'Entre- 
casteaux, was named after the late admiral sir Thomas Pasley, under 
whom I had the honour of entering the naval service. The shore 
betwixt Cape Pasley and Cape Arid is low and sandy, and falls back 
in a large bight, nearly similar to what is formed on the west side of 
Cape Arid. Behind that cape was a high bank of sand, which 
