188 
A VOYAGE TO 
[South Coast 
1802. north-eastward until four in the morning. Land was then seen 
ThmSSy s. under the lee, and a tack made off shore, till daylight, when we stood 
in with the wind at east -south-east. At nine, the land was distant 
five miles, and of a very different aspect to that of Cape Jervis. As 
far as six leagues from the cliffy southern extremity of the cape, 
the land is high, rocky, and much cut by gullies or ravines ; a short, 
scrubby brush-wood covers the seaward side, and the stone appeared 
to be slaty, like the opposite cliffs of Kanguroo Island. But here 
the hills fall back from the sea, and the shore becomes very low with 
some hummocks of sand upon it ; and the same description of coast 
prevailed as far as could be seen to the eastward. 
Our situation at nine o'clock, when we tacked to the south, 
was as follows ; 
Longitude by time keepers, - 138 0 47^-' 
Cape Jervis, two southern parts, bore - S. 84 W. 
A round hummock, - - - N. 85 W. 
A rocky islet, under the land, - - N. 62 W. 
Furthest visible part of the sandy coast, S. 87 E. 
Before two in the afternoon we stretched eastward again ; and 
at four, a white rock was reported from aloft to be seen a-head. On 
approaching nearer, it proved to be a ship standing towards us ; and 
we cleared for action, in case of being attacked. The stranger was 
a heavy-looking ship, without any top-gallant masts up ; and our 
colours being hoisted, she showed a French ensign, and afterwards 
an English jack forward, as we did a white flag. At half past five, 
the land being then five miles distant to the north-eastward, I hove 
to ; and learned, as the stranger passed to leeward with a free wind, 
that it was the French national ship Le Geographe, under the com- 
mand of captain Nicolas Baudin. We veered round as Le Geo- 
graphe was passing, so as to keep our broadside to her, lest the flag 
of truce should be a deception ; and having come to the wind on the 
other tack, a boat was hoisted out, and I went on board the French 
ship, which had also hove to. 
