barren, though
covered with wood and much frequented by kangaroos. In the evening, the
appearance of a southern gale induced me to shift our berth to the north
side of the point; between which, and an islet lying half a mile from it,
the depth was 5 to 7 fathoms.

On the 17th, we landed upon the islet, and killed some out of the many
gulls by which it is frequented. A small arm of the bay extending
north-eastward, where we hoped to obtain fresh water, was the object of
our examination in the afternoon. There was a little stream falling in at
the head, but rocks prevented it from being accessible to boats, or to a
raft; and a walk of perhaps a mile to the eastward, afforded nothing but
the sight of a stony country, and of a few miserable huts. Our greyhound
started a kangaroo, but it was lost in the wood; and there were no birds
to shoot.

Dec. 18, the wind still blowing fresh from the westward, we worked up to
Smooth Island; and then stretched over to the south side of the bay. The
soundings were generally 9 fathoms, on mud and sand, to within a mile of
the shore; and at half a mile, where the anchor was dropped, the depth
was 4 fathoms.

We landed at a steep, but not high point near the sloop, where I took
some bearings, and observed the meridian altitude of the moon in an
artificial horizon, which gave the latitude 43 deg. 11/2'; Mr. Bass, in the
mean time, walked a little distance inland, but saw nothing of particular
interest. Some further bearings were taken next morning, from a head
lying to the west; after which the anchor was weighed, and we steered
northward along the west side of the bay, with soundings from 8 to 4
fathoms. In the evening, we had worked back into North Bay, and come to
an anchor under the north-east end of Sloping Island.

The great eastern bay now quitted had never been entered till this time;
and as it is proved not to be Frederik Hendrik's, I have named it NORFOLK
BAY. It is about eight miles long, north and south, and three to five
miles broad from east to west. The largest fleet may find shelter here,
with anchorage on a good bottom of 4 to 9 fathoms deep. We saw but one
small stream of fresh water, and that was of difficult access; but it is
scarcely probable that, amongst the many coves all around the bay, water
convenient for ships should not be found. The country near the shore is
rocky; but as the kangaroo seemed to be abundant, there are probably many
grassy plains further inlan