192 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1819. 
June 15. 
with Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Roe, to ascend one 
of the hills that overlooks the bay . After two hours 
climbing over huge rounded masses of granite, 
and penetrating through thick bushes of under- 
wood, we arrived only at a summit considerably 
beneath the one we wished to reach; but, as it 
was too late in the day to proceed further, we 
halted ; and I took a set of angles and made some 
memorandums for the sketch of the bay. A re- 
markable observation was here made upon the 
magnetic influence of this land ; the variation was 
observed to be 10° 32' W., but on removing the 
compass eight yards off, it only gave 2° 50' E. 
This, in some degree, corresponds with Captain 
Cook’s record of the irregularity of his compass 
when he passed near this part of the coast, in 
consequence of which, he called the peaked 
island to the westward of the cape, Magnetical 
Island : this irregularity, however, was not noticed 
by me in my observations near the same spot, 
and the difference observed by him may very 
probably have been occasioned by the ship’s local 
attraction, which in those days was unknown. 
The view obtained from this station, was neither 
so useful nor so extensive as I had expected : 
the coast for six miles back is low, and occupied 
by a large body of water ; beyond which, is a 
range of flat-topped and precipitous rocky hills. 
