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 deg. 38'; the steep island of the small group
bore N. 50 deg. W., and the passage through the larger islands N. 12 deg. E.,
six or eight miles. This observation places the centre of the passage and
of the large group, in about 39 deg. 29' 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 deg. 25' 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.*

[* The longitude of the large group, as given by my time keepers in a
future voyage, is 147 deg. 17'.]

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 deg. S. one mile, at four
o'clock, when the eastern island of Kents large group was set at N. 17 deg.
E, five or six leagues. At six, the pyramid bore N. 38 deg. W. five miles,
and high land came in sight to the eastward: one piece extended from N.
75 deg. to S. 87 deg. E., apparently about five leagues distant, and the bluff,
southern end of another range of hills bore S. 51 deg. 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 deg. E. three leagues, to S. 47 deg. E. four or five miles; the
southern land bore S. 24 deg. to 2 deg. 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