394 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1820. had been expected. The thermometer ranged 
A<5 Tw. between 73° and 83° ; but the regularity and 
strength of the sea-breezes tended materially to 
keep the air cool and pleasant. 
25 . On the 25th the gentlemen visited Sims’ Island, 
where they found a considerable quantity of fresh 
water, in holes that had apparently been dug for 
the purpose by the Malays. Among the insects 
which they brought back with them was a very 
fine species of cimex; it was found in great num- 
bers upon the foliage of hibiscus tiliaceus. 
In the evening we left the bay ; and, the next 
26. morning, passed to the northward of New Year s 
Island, in order to avoid the calm weather which 
was experienced at the same season last year. 
Off the entrance of Van Diemen’s Gulf, (Dun- 
das’ Strait,) we passed through large quanti- 
ties of “ sea saw-dust,” some of which was put 
into a bottle ; and, when the process of putre- 
faction had taken place, the substance sunk to 
the bottom, and coloured the water with a crimson 
tinge. 
After passing the meridian of Cape Van Die- 
men, our course was directed towards Captain 
Baudin’s Banc des Holothuries, near Cape Bou- 
gainville ; but, being impeded by calms and light 
Sept. 3. winds, did not reach it until the 3rd of Sep- 
tember, when we passed between its south-east 
