156 
CBULSE OF H.M.S, CHALLENGED. 
April ls£. — This morning, under steam, proceeded 
out of Hobson’s Bay. The once famous city of 
Geelong, prettily situated on the western arm of 
Port Phillip, then St. Leonard’s, Queenscliff, and 
Lonsdale, are respectively seen. Steaming for some 
40 miles through the inland sea, we pass between the 
two narrow promontories of Point Nepean and 
Lonsdale, and entering Bass’s Straits, Wilson’s Pro- 
montory, the most southern part of Australia, is 
before us. Having a pleasant breeze, steam is dis- 
pensed with, and, under sail, good progress was made 
along the land. Passing Cape Howe, the coast line 
appeared steep, rocky, and covered with monotonous 
forests of gum-trees; but as we drew nearer, the 
grandeur and size of the cliffs and heights became more 
and more apparent. On their tops could be seen little 
specks of white houses dotted over bright green downs. 
Sounding and trawling occasionally, Twofold Bay is 
passed, with villages nestling along its shores. Closing 
on the land, we stopped off Montague Island, swung 
ship for magnetic corrections, and, after dredging, 
proceeded for Sydney Harbour. Those who had been 
on this station before, were eagerly questioned by the 
uninitiated, as to the distance we had still to go, as 
each successive bay or headland was passed. All 
those whose duty permitted were on deck watching 
the progress ; but what seemed to arrest our atten- 
tion was the apparently impregnable wall of high 
land stretching away on either side ; but we were 
