From Investigator's Group ] TERRA AUSTRALIS. 129 
islands and points, and of Mount Greenly which was visible over the 1802 - 
peninsula, to fix their relative positions. At noon, our ^ Wednes^iV. 
Latitude, observed to the N. and S., was - 34, 0 43' 32" 
Longitude by time keepers, - - 1 35 3 35 
Greenly's Isles, the peak, bore - - N. 74 W. 
Whidbey's Isles, three westernmost, - S. 36 0 to 60 W. 
middlemost, north end dist. 2 miles, N. 81 E. 
two near Point Avoid, - N. 81 E. 
Mount Greenly, over the peninsula, - Not distinct. 
Point Whidbey, distant 7 miles, - - N. 2 E. 
At dusk in the evening, having weathered Whidbey's Isles, 
we tacked near Point Avoid and stretched off to sea ; but on coming 
in with the land at daylight of the 18th, it appeared that nothing was Thursday is. 
gained, our situation being then in the same bight to the eastward of 
the point. 
The shore of the bight is sandy and low, and trends from 
Point Avoid about five miles to the east ; after which it takes a 
more southern direction and becomes higher, and the projecting 
parts of the waving coast line are cliffy. Behind the shore the land 
rises to a moderate height, is destitute of vegetation, and of a yellow 
colour, but whether from the surface being of bare rock, or of sand, 
could not be distinguished. 
In stretching off again, with the wind at east-south-east, we passed 
near to a small circular reef, lying nine miles from Point Avoid, 
and six from the nearest shore. Azimuths taken at this time with 
three compasses on the binnacle, and the ship's head at south ( mag- 
netic), gave the mean variation i° 12' east ; but with the surveying 
compass alone it was i° 39' east, which is what I allowed in the survey. 
On the preceding day, the two guns upon the quarter deck, nearest 
to the binnacle, had been struck down into the after hold ; from a 
persuasion that the differences so often found in the variations and 
bearings when on different tacks, must arise from some iron placed 
too near the compasses. Strict search had been repeatedly made 
