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Matthew Flinders gives the following description of the voyage to the wreck of Sydney Cove, at Preservation Island, in the Francis in A Voyage to Terra Australis [etc.], Vol. I, G. and W. Nicols, London, 1814; Section IV, part II:
“FLINDERS 1798.
“During the time that Mr. Bass was absent on his expedition in the whale boat, the Francis schooner was again sent with captain Hamilton to the wreck of the ship the Sydney Cove, to bring up what remained of the cargo at Preservation Island, and the few people who were left in charge. On this occasion I was happy enough to obtain governor Hunter’s permission to embark in the schooner, in order to make such observations serviceable to geography and navigation, as circumstances might afford; and Mr. Reed, the master, was directed to forward those views as far as was consistent with the main objects of the voyage.
“Feb. 1., we sailed out of Port Jackson with a fair wind; and on the following noon, the observed latitude was 35 degrees 42 minutes south of account. I prevailed on Mr. Reed to stand in for the land, which was then visible through the haze; and at sunset, we reached Bateman Bay. * [Footnote - * The bearings in the following account are corrected, as usual, for the variation, but I am sorry to say that the steering compasses of the schooner proved to be bad, and there was no azimuth compass on board.] When the two rocky islets [Tollgate Islands] in the middle of the bay bore S. by W. 1/4 W., a short mile, we had 8 fathoms of water, and 6 fathoms a mile further in. The north head is steep with a rock lying off it [Three Islet Reef]; but Bateman Bay falls back too little from the line of the coast to afford shelter against the winds from the eastward. The margin of the bay is mostly a beach, behind which lie sandy, rocky hills of moderate elevation.
“In the morning of the 3rd, we steered S. by W. along the shore; and saw, in latitude about 35 degrees 58 minutes, and eight or nine miles from the south point of Bateman Bay, a small opening like a river running south-westward [This appears to be the Moruya River, as the Tuross, noted by Bass is some twenty miles south of Batemans Bay]. It was here that Mr. Bass found a lagoon, with extensive salt swamps behind it, and observed the altitude 36 degrees 00 minutes. At noon, the east point of the opening bore N. 1/4 W. seven miles, and the top of Mount Dromedary was visible above the haze; but no observation could be taken for the latitude.
“Soon after noon, land was in sight to the S.S.E., supposed to be the Point Dromedary of captain Cook’s chart; but, to my surprise, it proved to be an island [Montague Island] not laid down, though lying near two leagues from the coast [This was in fact Cook’s Point Dromedary; he had mistaken the cape of Montague Island as an extension of the mainland.]. The whole length of this island is about one mile and a quarter, north and south; the two ends are a little elevated, and produce small trees; but the sea appeared to break occasionally over the middle part. It is probably frequented by seals, since many were seen in the water whilst passing at a distance of two miles. This little island, i was afterwards informed, had been seen in the ship Surprise, and honoured with the name of Montague.
“When captain Cook passed this part of the coast his distance from it was five leagues. We steered S.W.W. until two in the morning, when the land was so near as made it necessary to alter the course; and at daybreak of the 4th, the shore was not more than three miles distant, it was moderately high and rocky, and at the back were many hummocky hills. Having been much upon the deck in the night, I then retired to rest; and in the mean time, the schooner passed Mr. Bass’s Two-fold Bay without its being noticed. At nine we came abreast of a smooth, sloping point, which, from its appearance, and being unnoticed in captain Cook’s chart, I named GREEN CAPE. The shore, for about seven miles to the northward, lies N. 16 degrees W., and is rocky and nearly straight, and well covered with wood: the Cape itself is grassy. On the south side, the coast trends west, three or four miles, into a sandy bight, and then southward to Cape Howe.
“The latitude at noon was 37 degrees 25 minutes, giving a current of twenty miles to the south, in two days; Green Cape bore N. by E. four leagues, and Cape Howe S. by W. five or six miles. Captain Cook lays down the last in 37 degrees 26 minutes, in his chart, but the above observation places it in 37 degrees 30 1/2 minutes, which I afterwards found to agree with an observation of Mr. Bass, taken on the west side of the cape. The shore abreast of the schooner was between one and two miles distant; it was mostly beach, lying at the feet of sandy hillocks which extend from behind Green Cape to the pitch of Cape Howe. There were several fires upon the shore; and near one of them, upon an eminence, stood seven natives, silently contemplating the schooner as she passed.
“On coming abreast of Cape Howe, the wind chopped round to the south-west, and the dark clouds which settled over the land concealed it from our view; we observed, however, that it trended to the west, but sought in vain for the small island mentioned by captain Cook as lying close off the Cape. * [Footnote - * Hawkesworth, Vol. III. p. 80. Mr. Bass sailed close round the cape in his whale boat, but did not ace any island lying there.]
“Our latitude was 38 degrees 30 minutes next day, or 38 minutes south of account, although the wind had been, and was still from that direction. Mr. Reed then steered W. by N., to get in again with the coast, and on the following noon, we were in 38 degrees 16 minutes and, by account, 22 minutes of longitude to the west of Point Hicks. The schooner was kept more northward in the afternoon; at four o’clock a moderately high, sloping hill was visible in the N. by W., and at seven a small rocky point on the beach bore N. 50 degrees W. three or four leagues. The shore extended E.N.E. and W.S.W., and was low and sandy in front; but at some miles distance inland, there was a range of hills with wood upon them, though scarcely sufficient to hide their sandy surface.
“At five in the morning of the 7th, the rocky point bore N.E. 1/2 N. six or seven miles, and the furthest visible part of the beach W. 1/2 S. The southern wind had died away in the night; and a breeze springing up at N.E. by E., we steered before it along the same low, sandy shore as seen in the evening. The hills which arose three or four leagues behind the beach, appeared to retire further back as we advanced westward; they would, however, be visible to a ship in fine weather, long before the front land could be seen.
“The observed latitude at noon was 38 degrees 17 minutes south, and by two sets of distances of the sun east of the moon, reduced up from the morning, the longitude was 147 degrees 37 minutes east. * [Footnote - * It was 147 degrees 10 minutes; but as I afterwards found that the observations of the sun to the east gave 27 minutes less, by this small five inch sextant, and those to the west 27 minutes greater than the mean of both, that correction is here applied, but not any which might be required from errors in the solar or lunar tables.] The beach was six or seven miles distant, but after obtaining the moon’s observation, we closed more in; and at two or three miles off, found a sandy bottom with 11 fathoms of line. Our course along the shore from two to four o’clock, was S.W. 1/4 S., with a current in our favour. The beach then trended more to the west; but the breeze having veered to E. by N. and become strong, with much sea, it was considered too dangerous to follow it any longer. At five, the western and most considerable of two shallow-looking openings bore north-west, seven or eight miles; and at sunset, some high and remarkable land was perceived bearing S.W. by W., which proved to be the same discovered by Mr. Bass, and bearing the name of Wilson’s Promontory. It appeared from a partial view given by a break in the clouds, as if cut in two, and the parts had been removed to some distance from each other: the gap was probably Sealers Cove.
“The state of the weather, and the land to leeward, made it necessary to haul up south-eastward, close upon a wind. At day-break of the 8th, neither Wilson’s Promontory nor any other land to the northward could be seen; but between the bearings of N. 84 degrees and S. 63 degrees E., six or eight miles distant there was land rather high and irregular, with a cliffy shore; and a separate cluster of rocks bore south to S. 16 degrees W., from three to five miles. We passed close to these last, at six o’clock. and perceived that the tide, which before had set to leeward, was then turned to the east: the moon had just before passed the meridian.
“This small cluster consists of a steep island, near one mile in length, of two smaller round islets, and two or three rocks; one of which obtained the name of Judgment Rock, from its resemblance to an elevated seat. The higher and more considerable land to the eastward was seen, as we advanced, to divide itself into several parts. This group is principally composed of three islands; and between the largest on the east and two others on the west, there appeared to be a deep channel. The other parts are rocks, which lie scattered mostly off the north-western island. These two clusters were called KENT’S GROUPS, in honour of my friend captain William Kent, then commander of the Supply.
“Our latitude at noon was 39 degrees 38 minutes; the steep island of the small group bore N. 50 degrees W., and the passage through the larger islands N. 12 degrees E., six or eight miles. This observation places the centre of the passage and of the larger group, in about 39 degrees 29 minutes south; and from the lunar observations of the preceding day, brought on by log, (for unfortunately I had no time keeper,) it should lie in longitude 147 degrees 25 minutes east. It is, however, to be observed, that a fortuitous compensation of errors can alone render a dead reckoning correct in the way of such tides as we had experienced during the last twenty-four hours. * [Footnote - * The longitude of the large group, as given by my time keepers in a future voyage, is 147 degrees 17 minutes.]”By keeping the wind to the southward, we came up with a pyramidal-shaped rock through which there is a chasm; it bore W. 8 degrees S. one mile, at four o’clock, when the eastern island of Kent’s large group was set at N. 17 degrees E., five or six leagues. At six, the pyramid bore N. 38 degrees W. five miles, and high land came in sight to the eastward one piece extended from N. 75 degrees to S. 87 degrees E., apparently about five leagues distant, and the bluff, southern end of another range of hills bore S. 51 degrees E., something further. Captain Hamilton supposed these to be parts of the land he had seen to the north-west of Preservation Island, where the wreck of his ship was lying; but whether they might belong to Furneaux’s Islands or to the main, was unknown to him. He had always gone to, and returned from his island by the east side of this land; and the wind having veered northward, the schooner was kept as much to the north-east as possible, in order to pursue the same track.
“We came up with a low point or island at eleven at night, when the wind died away. At six in the morning of Feb. 9., the northern land extended from N. 49 degrees E. three leagues, to S. 47 degrees E. four or five miles; the southern land bore S. 24 degrees to 2 degrees E. five or six leagues, and seemed to form a hilly, separate island; although, as low land was seen between them, the two may probably be connected: there was also a cliffy island bearing north, seven or eight miles. On a breeze springing up from south-west, our course was steered to pass close round the northern land; but finding much rippling water between it and two islands called the Sisters by captain Furneaux, we passed round them also, and then hauled to the southward along the eastern shore.
“This northern land [Flinders Island], or island as it proved to be, has some ridges of sandy-looking hills extending north and south between the two shores; and they are sufficiently high to be visible ten leagues from a ship’s deck in clear weather. On the west side of the north point, the hills come down nearly to the water; but on the east side, there is two or three miles of flat land between their feet and the shore. The small trees and brush wood which partly covered the hills, seemed to shoot out from sand and rock; and if the vallies and low land within be not better than what appeared from the sea, the northern part of this great island [Flinders Island] is sterile indeed. The Sisters are not so high as some of the hills on the great island, and are less sandy; the small, cliffy island, which lies eight or nine miles, nearly west, from the inner Sister, has no appearance of sand.
“Whilst passing round the north end of Furneaux’s Islands, I experienced how little dependance was to be put in compass bearings, at least, as were taken with my best instrument, the steering compass of the schooner. The south extreme of the inner Sister shut on with the north-west point of the great island [Flinders Island] at W. 3/4 S., magnetic bearing; but after passing round, they shut, on the other side, at W. by N. 1/4 N.; so that, to produce an agreement, it was necessary to allow half a point more east variation on the first, when the schooner’s head was N. by W., than on the last, when it was S.S.E. In a second instance, the north end of the outer Sister opened from the inner one at N.E. 1/2 N.; but they came on again at S.W. 1/2 W., making a difference of a whole point, when the head was N. by W. and E.S.E. These bearings were probably not correct within two or three degrees; but they showed that a change in the course steered produced an alteration in the compass.
“The observed latitude at noon was 39 degrees 50 1/3 minutes, the centre of the outer Sister bore N. 43 degrees W., nearly five leagues, and our distance from the sandy, eastern shore of the great island [Flinders Island] was about six miles. At two o’clock, we came up with an island of three miles in length, and nearly the same space distant from a sandy projection of the great island. The passage between them is much contracted by shoal spits of sand which run out from each side; and it seemed doubtful, whether the water were deep enough in any part of the channel to admit a ship. The form of the land here is somewhat remarkable: upon the low projection of the great island [Flinders Island] there are three pyramidal hills, which obtained the name of the Patriarchs, and stand apart from the more western high land; and upon the south-west end of the island opposite there is also a pyramid, which, with other hills near it, presents some resemblance to the Lion’s Head and Rump at the Cape of Good Hope. This island and two rocky islets lying off its south-east end were afterwards called the Babel Isles. The largest is covered with tufted grass and brush wood; and the whole appeared to much frequented by shags, sooty petrels, and other sea birds.
“We had scarcely passed the Babel Isles, when the wind, which had been W. by S., chopped round to the southward, with squally weather, and drove the schooner off to the north-east. In the night, it became less favourable; and at noon of the 10th, our latitude was 40 degrees 3 1/2 minutes; the isles bore N. 78 degrees W., three or four leagues, and the high land of Cape Barren S 13 degrees to 34 degrees W. Having a fair wind in the afternoon, we passed along the outskirts of the Bay of Shoals, without perceiving any breakers; but the space between the great island [Flinders Island] and the land of Cape Barren there were many rocks, and a low island of three or four miles long, with a hill in the middle, lay at the entrance of the opening.
“The high part of Cape-Barren Island, but particularly the peak, may be seen eleven, and perhaps more leagues from a ship’s deck. The extremity of the point is a low point, which runs out two miles east from the high land; and off this point lies a flat, rocky islet and a peaked rock. The shore is sandy on each side of the Cape point: it trends N. 40 degrees W., for about five miles, on one side, and S. 49 degrees W., past two sandy bights on the other, to a rocky projection on which are two whitish cones, shaped like a rhinoceros’ horns.
“We steered south-westward, in the evening, round the Cape point, and were sufficiently close to hear the bellowing of the seals upon the islet. Arrived off Cone Point, the schooner was hauled offshore; and the wind becoming strong and unfavourable in the night, it was not until the evening of the 12th, that we got to anchor in Hamilton’s Road, at the east end of Preservation Island. This road is sheltered from all winds, except between south and S.S.E.; and these do not throw in much sea: the bottom is good-looking sand, in from 4 to 3 fathoms, at a quarter of a mile from the beach.
“The ship Sydney Cove had been run on shore between Preservation and Rum Islands, and part of her hull was still lying there; but the sea thrown in by western gales had, in great measure, broken her up, and scattered the beams, timbers, and parts of the cargo, upon all the neighbouring shores.
“Mt purpose of making an expedition amongst the islands was delayed by the schooner’s boat being out of repair; but in the mean time, a base line was measured round the sandy north-east end of Preservation Island, and angles taken from all the conspicuous points.
“Feb. 16. The boat was fitted, and I made an excursion of five days, through the channel which separates the land of Cape Barren from the more southern islands. It is called ARMSTRONG’S CHANNEL, from the master of the Supply, who had gone to afford assistance in saving the cargo of the Sydney Cove, and was the first to pass through it on his return towards Port Jackson; but he never arrived there, having, in all probability, perished at sea with his sloop and crew. The stations whence angles were taken for a survey of the channel and surrounding lands, were - 1st. Point Womat [Wombat], a rocky projection of Cape-Barren Island, where a number of the new animals, called womat [Wombat], were seen, and some killed. 2nd. Battery Island, so named from four rocks upon it, resembling mounted guns; sooty petrels, and large hair seals were found there. 3rd. The sandy north-east point of Clarke’s Island; which, with the opposite Sloping Point, forms the narrowest part of the channel. Its width was found to be three-quarters of a mile, but is somewhat contracted by rocks lying on the south side. These rocks were also frequented by hair seals, and some of them (the old males) were of an enormous size, and of extraordinary power. I levelled my gun at one, which was sitting on the top of a rock with his nose extended up towards the sun, and struck him with three musket balls. He rolled over, and plunged into the water; but in less than half an hour had taken up his former station and attitude. On firing again, a stream of blood spouted forth from his breast to some yards distance, and he fell back, senseless. On examination, the six balls were found lodged in his breast; and one, which occasioned death, had pierced his heart: his weight was equal to that of a common ox.
“The 4th station was on Sloping Point, where an aculeated ant-eater [Echidna] was caught, and some quartz crystals were picked up from the shore. 5th, At the east side of Kent’s Bay, under the peak of Cape Barren. This peak I wished to ascend, in order to obtain a view of the surrounding lands, particularly of an extensive piece to the southward, which, from the smokes continually seen there, was supposed to be part of Van Dieman’s Land [Tasmania]; but the almost impenetrable brush wood, with which the sides of the peak and surrounding hills were covered, defeated my purpose.
“The 6th station was at Passage Point. The 7th, on Cone Point, where the number of seals exceeded every thing we had, any of us, before witnessed; and they were smaller, and of a different species from those which had frequented Armstrong’s Channel. Instead of the bull-dog nose, and thinly-set, sandy hair, these had sharp-pointed noses, and the general colour of the hair approached to a black; but the tips were of silver grey, and underneath was a fine, whitish, thick fur. The commotion excited by our presence, in this assemblage of several thousand timid animals, was very interesting to me, who knew little of their manners. The young cubs cuddled together in the holes of the rocks, and moaned piteously, those more advanced scampered and rolled down to the water, with their mothers; whilst some of the old males stood up in defence of their families, until the terror of the sailor’s bludgeons became too strong to be resisted. Those who have seen a farm yard, well stocked with pigs, calves, sheep, oxen, and with two or three litters of puppies, with their mothers, in it, and have heard them all in tumult together, may form a good idea of the confused noise of the seals at Cone Point. The sailors killed as many of these harmless, and not unamiable creatures, as they were able to skin during the time necessary for me to take the requisite angles; and we then left the poor affrightened multitude to recover from the effect of our inauspicious visit.
“My 8th station was taken, in returning to the schooner, upon the south end of the eastern Passage Isle; 9th, the south-west end of the western Passage Isle; and 01th, the south-east point of Clarke’s Island. The 11th and last station was at Look-out Head, the bearings from which included some parts of the southern land, between the extremes of S. 20 degrees 20 minutes E. and S. 59 degrees 35 minutes W. At these different stations, the needle of the theodolite was sometimes found to vary one or two degrees from itself, as it had done at Preservation Island; an effect which I attribute to the attraction of the rocks, having since experienced the same, and even greater, differences in most places where the rocks, as here, are granitic.
“In the wider parts of Armstong’s Channel there are many shoals of sand on each side. but a passage of sufficient width and depth is swept out by the tides, for ships to go through in safety. The bottom is either rocky or sandy: rocky in the deep and narrow parts, where the tides run three or four miles in an hour; and sandy in the bights and shoaler places. the sand of the beaches is mostly granitic, but sometimes consists of black metallic particles, such as are found in the stone of the islands.
“It was not until Feb. 25 that the remains of the Sydney-Cove’s cargo were all on board, and that a favourable change in the wind permitted us to sail for Port Jackson. These four days of detention enabled me to continue the survey along the south side of Preservation Island, and as far as the Bay of Rocks upon that of Cape Barren. A meridian altitude from the south horizon, observed under more favourable circumstances than two others before taken, gave 40 degrees 28 minutes for the latitude of Hamilton’s Road. The longitude is 19 degrees 20 minutes west of Cape Barren; and therefore should be 148 degrees 6 minutes east of Greenwich. It is high water in the road, according to Mr. Hamilton’s report, half an hour before the moon passes over the meridian; but from what I observed, without paying particular attention to it, the tide did not appear to flow so late by an hour: the medium rise was about seven feet, as at Port Jackson.
“Well tasted fresh water is collected, at certain seasons, in small pools near the east end of Preservation Island; but that which drains from the rocks was first used by the Sydney-Cove’s crew, until several of them died. Small runs or pools of water are to be found almost every where under the high parts of Cape-Barren Island, and it is probable there may be some upon Clarke’s Island; but the Passage Isles we found it difficult to obtain wherewithal to satisfy our thirst.
“The stone of which the southern, and probably the whole of Furneaux’s Islands are composed, is mostly a whitish granite, but sometimes inclining to red; and is full of small, black specks. Quartz seems to have amore than usual share in its composition, and we occasionally found crystals of that substance upon the shores. The black specks were thought to be grains of tin, and to have communicated a deleterious quality to the water used by the shipwrecked people. The exceptions to the general prevalence of granite were few: they consisted of some black, and some grey slate, in thin strata, placed nearly perpendicular to the horizon; but even here, the granite had pervaded the fissures of the strata; and, in two instances, a substance which, from its appearance, I supposed to be a toad stone, had insinuated itself.
“Some of the trees on Preservation Island had partly undergone a peculiar transformation. The largest of them were not thicker than a man’s leg, and the whole were decayed; but whilst the upper branches continued to be of wood, the roots at the surface, and the trunks up to a certain height, were of a stony substance resembling chalk. On breaking these chalky trunks, which was easily done, rings of the brown wood sometimes appeared in them, as if imperfectly converted; but in the greater number, nothing more than circular traces remained. The situation in which these trees were principally found, is a sandy valley near the middle of the island, which was likewise remarkable for the quantity of bones of birds and small quadrupeds, with which it was strewed. The petrifications were afterwards more particularly examined by Mr. Bass, who adopted the opinion that they had been caused by water.
“Upon Cape-Barren Island the hills rise to a considerable height, that of the peak, which does not much exceed some others, being near twelve hundred feet; but on the smaller islands there is no elevation of importance. The upper parts of all are generally crowned with huge lumps of granite; and upon many of these, particularly Rum Island, is a smaller, unconnected round lump, which rests in a hollow at the top, as a cup in its saucer, and I observed with a glass, that there was a stone of this kind at the summit of the peak of Cape Barren. The lower parts of the islands are commonly sandy; and in several places under the hills, swamps and pools are formed. The water in these is generally tinged red; and in one, situate between Passage and Cone Points, it had so much the appearance of blood, that I went to taste it; but, except being a little brackish, found nothing remarkable. Whether the water becomes thus tinged, in its course down the hills, by earthy or metallic substances, or acquire its colour from the roots and leaves of vegetables, I am unable to decide; but think the former more probable. [This is actually caused by wood and leaves falling into the water which, when they breakdown, release tannin]
“All the islands are over-run with brush-wood, amongst which, in the more sheltered and less barren parts, are mixed a few stunted trees, which seem to shed their bark annually, and to be of the heavy kind called gum tree at Port Jackson. The brush wood overspreads even the rocks where it can get the least hold; it is commonly impenetrable, and on the south and west sides of the islands assumes a depressed, creeping form, strongly indicative of the strength and generality of the winds from those quarters. Many of the sandy parts are covered with the hassocks of wiry grass, which constitutes the favourite retreat of the sooty petrel; and at the back of the shores, there is frequently some extent of ground where the creeping, salt plants grow, and to which the penguins principally resort. To this general account of the scanty vegetable productions of Furneaux’s Islands, may be added several ow shrubs, and a grass which grows on the moist grounds near the borders of the pools and fresh swamps, and which, though coarse, might serve as food for cattle.
“Of the animal productions of the islands, the list is somewhat more extensive. Those for which they are indebted to the sea, are seals of two kinds, sooty petrels, and penguins. The hair seal appears to frequent the sheltered beaches, points, and rocks, whilst the rocks and rocky points exposed to the buffetings of the waves preferred by the handsomer and superior species, which never condescends to the effeminacy of a beach. A point or island will not be greatly resorted to by these animals, unless it slope gradually to the water, and the shore be, as we term it, steep to. This is the case with the islet lying off Cape Barren, and with Cone Point; with parts of the Passage Isles, and the south end of Clarke’s Island; and at these places only, did I see the seals in any number.
“The sooty petrel [Mutton Bird], better known at sea under the name of sheerwater [Shearwater], frequents the tufted, grassy parts of all the islands in astonishing numbers. It is known that these birds make burrows in the ground, like rabbits; that they lay one or two enormous eggs in these holes, and bring up their young there. In the evening, they come in from sea, having their stomachs filled with a gelationous substance gathered from the waves; and this they eject into the throats of their offspring, or retain for their own nourishment, according to circumstances. A little after sunset, the air at Preservation Island used to be darkened with their numbers; and it was generally an hour before their squabblings ceased, and every one had found its own retreat. The people of the Sydney Cove had a strong example of perseverance in these birds. The tents were pitched close to a piece of ground full of their burrows, many of which were necessarily filled up from constantly walking over them; yet, notwithstanding this interruption, and the thousands of birds destroyed, for they constituted a great part of their food during more than six months, the returning flights continued to be as numerous as before; and there was scarcely a burrow less, except in the spaces actually covered by the tents. These birds are about the size of a pigeon, and when skinned and dried in smoke we thought them passable food. Any quantity could be procured, by sending people on shore in the evening. The sole process was to thrust in the arm up to the shoulder, and seize them briskly; but there was some danger of grasping a snake at the bottom of the burrow, instead of a petrel.
“The penguin of these islands is of a kind denominated little; the back and upper parts are of a lead-coloured blue; the fore and under parts, white. They were generally found sitting on the rocks, in the day time, or in caverns near the water side. They burrow in the same manner as the sooty petrel; but, except in the time of rearing their young, do not seem, like it, to return to their holes every night. The places preferred for breeding are those at the back of the shore; where the sand is overspread with salt plants; and they were never found intermixed with the petrels, nor far from the salt water. Their flesh is so strong and fishy, that had not the skins served to make caps, rather handsome, and impenetrable to rain, the penguins would have escaped molestation.
“No other quadrupeds than the kangaroo, womat [wombat], and duck-billed aculeated ant-eater were found upon the islands. The kangaroo, is of a reddish brown, and resembles the smaller species which frequents the brush woods at Port Jackson: when full grown, it weighs from forty to fifty pounds [This is the Bennetts or Red necked Wallaby]. There were no traces of it upon the Passage Isles; but, on Cape Barren and Clarke’s Islands, the kangaroo, was tolerably abundant, though difficult to be procured, owing to the thickness of its retreats. There were also numbers on Preservation Island, when the Sydney Cove was first run on shore, but having been much harassed and destroyed, a few only were shot during the time of our stay.
“Clarke’s Island afforded the first specimen of the new animal, called womat [wombat], but I found it more numerous upon that of Cape Barren: Preservation and the Passage Isles do not possess it. This little bear-like quadruped is known in New South Wales, and called by the natives womat, wombat, or womback, according to the different dialects, or perhaps to the different rendering of the wood rangers who brought the information. It burrows like the badger, and on the Continent does not quit its retreat till dark; but it feeds at all times on the uninhabited islands, and was commonly seen foraging amongst the sea refuse on the shore, though the coarse grass seemed to be its usual nourishment. It is easily caught when at a distance from its burrow; its flesh resembles lean mutton in taste, and to us was acceptable food. Another species of this animal has been discovered in New South Wales, which lives in the tops of the trees and, in manners, bears much resemblance to the sloth [Flinders is, of course, referring to the Koala].
“The aculeated ant-eater [Echidna] was not found on any of the islands than that of Cape Barren: it is exceedingly fat, the flesh has a somewhat aromatic taste, and was thought delicious.
“Of the birds which frequent Furneaux’s Islands, the most valuable are the goose and black swan; but this last is rarely seen here, even in the freshwater pools, and except to breed, seems never to go on shore. The goose approaches nearest to the description of the species called bernacle; it feeds upon grass, and seldom takes to the water. I found this bird in considerable numbers on the smaller isles, but principally on Preservation Island; its usual weight was from seven to ten pounds, and it formed our best repasts, but had become shy. Gannets, shags, gulls, and red-bills were occasionally seen; as also crows, hawks, paroquets, and a few smaller birds. Fish were not plentiful, but some were taken with hook and line from the rocks.
“Speckled yellow snakes [Tiger Snakes], of three or four feet in length, were found upon Preservation Island, and exist, no doubt, upon the larger isles. They sometimes get into the burrows of the sooty petrel, and probably destroy the young. I saw one dragged out by a sailor who expected to have taken a bird; but, being quick in his movements, he was not bitten. These snakes possess the venomous fangs; but no person experienced the degree of virulence in their poison.
“The schooner was ready to sail on Feb. 25; and the wind from the westward being fresh and favourable, we left Hamilton’s Road to return to Port Jackson. It was still a matter of doubt whether the land to the south of the islands were, or were not, a part of Van Dieman’s Land [Tasmania]; and I therefore requested Mr. Reed to make a stretch that way. At noon our latitude was 40 degrees 44 2/3 minutes, and the paek of Cape Barren bore N. 13 degrees E.; an island which had been visited by the Sydney-Cove’s people, and was represented as a breeding place for swans, bore from N. 68 degrees W. to west, five or six miles, and there were some smaller islets behind it. The land lying two or three miles more to the south is sandy and low in front, but ascends in gently rising hills as it retreats into the country. Its general appearance was very different from that of Furneaux’s Islands, the lower hills being covered with green grass, interspersed with clumps of wood, and the back land well clothed with timber trees.
“We stretched on until the land was seen beyond 40 degrees 50 minutes, and then veered to the northward, in this latitude, captain Furneaux says, ‘the land trenches away to the westward.’ * [Footnote - * Cook’s Second Voyage, Vol. I. page 114.] and as he traced the coast from the south end of the country to this part, there could no longer be a doubt that it was joined to the land discovered by Tasman in 1642. The smokes which had constantly been seen rising from it showed that there were inhabitants; and this, combined with the circumstance of their being none upon the islands, seemed to argue a junction of Van Dieman’s Land [Tasmania] with New South Wales; for it was difficult to suppose, that men should have reached the more distant land, and not have attained the islands intermediately situated; nor was it admissible that, having reached them, they had perished for want of food. On the other hand, the great strength of the tides, setting westward, past the islands, could only be caused by some exceedingly deep inlet, or by a passage through to the southern Indian Ocean. These contradictory circumstances were very embarrassing; and the schooner not being placed at my disposal, I was obliged, to my great regret, to leave this important geographical question undecided.
“At the time we veered to the northward, the coast of Van Dieman’s Land [Tasmania] was about three miles distant, and the furthest extreme, a low point, bore S. 15 degrees E. two or three leagues. On repassing Cape-Barren Point at four o’clock, I obtained two sets of distances of the sun west of the moon, to pair with others of the sun on the east side, taken on the 10th, also within sight of the Cape. The mean result, freed from the errors of the tables, gave its longitude 148 degrees 20 minutes E., being 14 minutes more than is assigned to it by captain Furneaux, but 5 1/2 minutes less than what appears to be its real position.
“Nothing worthy of notice occurred in our passage back to Port Jackson: we made Hat Hill [Mount Kembla] on March 7, and on the 9th, anchored in Sydney Cove.”
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