158 
A VOYAGE TO 
[ North Coast. 
180 - 2 . 
December. 
Tuesday 7 - 
Latitude, observed to the north, - - i6° 26' 
Longitude, from time keeper and bearings, - 139 25 
Cliffy north head of this land, - - N. 8(> E. 
Woody shoal point, distant two miles, - S. 35 E. 
Furthest southern extreme, S. 29 W. 
Islet from the mast head, distant 3 leagues, - North. 
From one o’clock till four, we steered S. S. W. past three 
other small cliffy projections; and I then saw the clump of high trees 
on the south-west point of this land, bearing S. 31 0 E. six miles, the 
same which had been set five days before from the inner side. Our 
course was continued, to get in with the main land ; but in half an 
hour the depth had diminished to 2-| fathoms, and obliged' us to haul 
out W. by N., close to the wind. The low main coast was then in 
sight from the ma’st head to the south-westward, and at dusk we 
anchored about three leagues off’ in 5 fathoms, sandy bottom. 
No doubt remained that the land of Cape Van Diemen was an 
island; for it had been circumnavigated, with the exception of about 
three leagues, which the rocks and shoal water made impracticable. 
Its extent is considerable, being thirty-five miles long, and the cir- 
cumference near ninety, independently of the smaller sinuosities in 
the coast ; I did not land upon any part, but the surface appeared to 
be more rocky than sandy ; and judging from the bushes and trees 
with which it is mostly covered, there must be some portion, though 
perhaps a small one, of vegetable soil. In any other part of the 
world, this would be deemed low land ; but here, where even the 
tops of the trees on the main scarcely exceed a ship’s mast head in 
elevation, it must be called moderately high; for it may in some 
parts, reach three hundred feet. Several smokes and some natives 
were seen, and it is reasonable to suppose there are fixed inhabitants, 
but their number is probably small. 
Had not the name of Van Diemen so often occurred in Terra 
Australis, as to make confusion, I should have extended it from the 
cape to the whole island; but such being the case, I have taken this 
opportunity of indulging my gratitude to a nobleman of high cha~ 
