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206 A VOYAGE TO [South Coast. 
1803. Latitude observed was - - 39° 3 1 \- 
Thursfae. Longitude by time keepers, - - 144 16 
King's Island, south extreme, bore - S. 18 W. 
a middle hummock, - S. 37 W. 
northern extreme, - S. 74 W. 
High main land from the mast head, - N. 23 W. 
We tacked to the south-south-east at three o'clock, working 
up for King's Island, which was distant about five or six leagues, 
directly to windward. In the night we lay up south, parallel with 
the east side of the island ; but the soundings having diminished to 
16 fathoms, I feared we might be approaching a reef of rocks lying 
off the south-east end, of which Mr. Reid had spoken. We there- 
fore tacked to the northward at eleven o'clock; and after beating 
Friday 23. until three in the following afternoon, got to an anchor in g fathoms, 
fine sand, under the north-east end of King's Island ; the nearest 
part of the shore being distant a short half mile, and the extremes 
bearing S-. 37 0 E. and N. 6g° W. 
A boat was immediately hoisted out, and I landed with the 
botanical gentlemen. On stepping out of the boat, I shot one of 
those little bear-like quadrupeds, called Womat ; and another was 
afterwards killed. A seal, of a species different to any yet seen by 
us, was also procured; its phippers behind were double, when com- 
pared to the common kinds of seal, and those forward were smaller, 
and placed nearer to the head ; the hair was much shorter, and of a 
blueish, grey colour ; the nose flat and broad ; and the fat upon the 
animal was at least treble the usual quantity. I never saw the sea 
elephant, and possibly this might have been a young female ; but 
there was no appearance of any trunk. A top-mast studding-sail 
boom, not much injured, was lying near the landing place; and as I 
afterwards learned that the wreck of a vessel had been found upon 
the west side of the island, this boom had probably drifted from 
thence. 
