A large extent of water presently became visible within
side; and although the entrance seemed to be very narrow, and there were
in it strong ripplings like breakers, I was induced to steer in at
half-past one; the ship being close upon the wind, and every man ready
for tacking at a moment's warning; the soundings were irregular between
6 and 12 fathoms, until we got four miles within the entrance, when they
shoaled quick to 2-3/4.

The extensive harbour we had thus unexpectedly found I supposed must be
Western Port, although the narrowness of the entrance did by no means
correspond with the width given to it by Mr. Bass. It was the
information of Captain Baudin, who had coasted along from thence with
fine weather, and had found no inlet of any kind, which had induced this
supposition; and the very great extent of the place, agreeing with that
of Western Port, was in confirmation of it. This however was not Western
Port, as we found next morning; and I congratulated myself on having
made a new and useful discovery, but here again I was in error. This
place, as I afterwards learnt at Port Jackson, had been discovered ten
weeks before by Lieutenant John Murray, who had succeeded Captain Grant
in command of the _Lady Nelson_. He had given it the name of Port
Phillip, and to the rocky point on the east side of the entrance, that
of Point Nepean.

Before proceeding any higher with the ship, I wished to gain some
knowledge of the form and extent of this great piece of water; and
Arthur's seat being more than a thousand feet high and near the water
side, presented a favourable station for the purpose. After breakfast I
went away in a boat, accompanied by Mr. Brown and some other gentlemen,
for the Seat. I ascended the hill and to my surprise found the Port so
extensive, that even at this elevation its boundary to the northward
could not be distinguished. The western shore extended from the entrance
ten or eleven miles in a northern direction, to the extremity of what
from its appearance I called Indented Head; beyond it was a wide branch
of the port leading to the westward, and I suspected might have a
communication with the sea; for it was almost incredible that such a
vast piece of water should not have a larger outlet than that through
which we had come.

Another considerable piece of water was seen, at the distance of three
or four leagues; as it appeared to have a communication with the sea to
the south, I had no doubt