COASTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
327 
night the boat was despatched to the easternmost 1819, 
island, to watch for turtle, but it returned without 0ct - lo 
having seen any. During the night, the wind 
blew a moderate breeze from S.W., with dark 
cloudy weather. At daylight we weighed, but is. 
from light baffling winds, it was some time be- 
fore we cleared the islands. The tide, however, 
swept us out, and drifted us half a mile to wind- 
ward of a small peaked island which must be 
the Pascal Island of the French: this islet is of 
small size, but remarkable for its conical shape, 
and having, as it were, its apex cut off. It is 
surrounded by a rocky shoal of small extent. 
The wind had now veered to W.N.W., and 
obliged our passing to the eastward of Cassini 
Island (of Captain Baudin) ; and, from the im- 
mense numbers of turtle-tracks that were seen up- 
on its beach, we would gladly have anchored near 
it, had a convenient place offered ; but the bottom 
was so deep, that we could not with safety drop 
our anchor. The plan given by M. de Freycinet 
of this archipelago is so defective, that many of 
his islands could not be recognised ; but those 
which were made out preserve his names. Cas- 
sini Island is sufficiently well placed by him, 
and was an useful point for the sake of com- 
paring our longitudes. In the space between 
Cape Bougainville and Cape Voltaire, which 
