COASTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
143 
27° 37', and longitude 104° 51', a breeze freshened ism. 
up, and gradually veered from S.S.E. to East, July 7. 
and E.N.E. Between the 9th and 33th (on 9— is. 
which day we passed the meridian of Cape Leeu- 
win) we had variable winds between N.E. and 
N.W. : on the 9th the wind blew a heavy gale, 
in which our jolly-boat was washed away, and 
obliging us to bear up to the S.E. prevented our 
seeing the land about Cape Chatham, as had been 
intended. Between this and King’s Island, we 14—23. 
had strong gales from the westward, veering, at 
times, between north and south, with thick and 
sometimes rainy weather. During the southerly 
winds the air was very cold, and lowered the 
mercury to 47° and 49° ; but when the wind 
veered to the north it rose to 55 °, and gave us 
considerable relief. 
On the 23d soundings were struck off King’s 
Island, and the next morning we entered Bass’ 24 
Strait by passing round the south end of the island. 
Here George Speed, one of our seamen, breathed 
his last; his death was occasioned by an excessive 
indulgence in the vegetables and fruits obtained 
at Timor, and he had been sick ever since we left 
that place ; first with dysentery, and then with an 
intestinal inflammation. 
The weather was so bad when we passed 
through the south entrance to the Strait, that 
