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 Diemen's Land; and I
therefore requested of Mr. Reed to make a stretch that way. At noon our
latitude was 40 deg. 44 2/3', and the peak of Cape Barren bore N. 13 deg. E.; an
island which had been visited by the Sydney-Cove's people, and was
represented to be a breeding place for swans, bore from N. 68 deg. 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 deg. 50'; and then veered
to the northward. In this latitude, captain Furneaux says, "the land
trenches away to the westward;" * 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 there being none
upon the islands, seemed to argue a junction of Van Diemen's Land 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.

[* _C