A VOYAGE TO 
{East Coast. 
ship and in the dockyard. On the morning after our arrival, we warped 
to a convenient situation near the point, and sent on shore the tents, 
the sail-makers and sails, and the cooper with all the empty casks. 
Next day the observatory was set up, and the time keepers and 
other astronomical instruments placed there under the care of lieu- 
tenant Flinders ; who, with Mr. Franklin his assistant, was to make 
the necessary observations and superintend the various duties carry- 
ing on at the same place ; and a small detachment of marines was 
landed for the protection of the tents. 
I had found the barricade of the quarter deck to stand so high, 
as to be not only an obstacle to beating to windward, but a great 
inconvenience to surveying the coast ; for when the wind was on the 
side next to the land, there were no means of taking bearings over 
it but by standing on the top of the binnacle ; or otherwise by re- 
moving the compass to different places, which I had found could not 
be done without materially changing the variation. These incon- 
veniences being stated to the governor, his permission was obtained 
to reduce it so low as that it might be overlooked in all cases ; and 
an order was given that four convict carpenters, and such other 
assistance from the dockyard should be furnished as was necessary. 
To supply the place of the cutter we had lost at the entrance 
of Spencer's Gulph, I contracted for a boat to be built after the 
model of that in which Mr. Bass made his long and adventurous 
expedition to the strait. It was twenty-eight feet seven inches in 
length over all, rather flat floored, head and stern alike, a keel 
somewhat curved, and the cut-water and stern post nearly upright ; 
it was fitted to row eight oars when requisite, but intended for 
six in common cases. The timbers were cut from the largest 
kind of banksia, which had been found more durable than mangrove ; 
and the planking was of cedar. This boat was constructed under the 
superintendance of Mr. Thomas Moore, master builder to the 
colony ; and proved, like her prototype, to be excellent in a sea, 
as well as for rowing and sailing in smooth water. The cost at 
