aSiblfograpbttal Notice. 
Discoveries in Australia. By Capt. J. L. Stokes, II.M.S. 
Beagle, 1837—1843. 
Ik our Journal for July, 1843 (Xo. vi. p. 55), a notice will be 
found of the Australian discoveries of the Beagle, commanded by 
Capt. Stokes, R.N., which may in some measure have prepared 
our readers to receive with interest the publication of the full 
details of this important voyage, in 2 vols. Svo., which came out 
in the course of last year under the authorship of Capt. Stokes 
himself. The work is important, as the last and newest link in 
the chain of Tasmanian maritime discovery, which, commencing 
from the voyage of Capt. Abel Jansen Tasman two hundred years 
ago, has continued with various intermissions down to the pre¬ 
sent day. 
The Australian chart is still in course of construction, and at 
the present moment no portion of it calls more loudly for the 
attention of the British surveyor than that in which Tasmania is 
comprised. We have been occupants of the island for almost 
half a century, and still there are numerous points laid down in 
false latitude and longitude upon the ordinary charts in use. It 
may be of no great importance to a landsman to blunder the lati¬ 
tude of his farm; but what are we to say to the flagrant errors 
discovered by the Beagle on the northern and eastern shores of 
our island ? and what of those errors which are known to exist, 
though their amount is still uncertain, in the laying down of the 
western coast? To this day we have a strong impression that 
no man can be said to know the true position of that salient 
landmark, South-west Cape; and, though the Beagle's authority 
is at present culminant in favour of latitude 42° 36', five miles 
north of its old reputed position, we should much prefer an obser¬ 
vation taken in situ, by a really experienced observer, as the only 
safe way of dispensing with the numerous conflicting authorities 
which have gone before. Capt. Stokes farther assures us, that 
up to the period of his visit there were points upon our coast 
(which, by the way, have been passed by hundreds of vessels 
