k.
The shores at the head and on the west side are more rocky than sandy.
The back land is low for some miles, and not ill covered with grass and
wood; it then rises to hills of considerable elevation, amongst which
Double Mount was most remarkable. The smokes in different places bespoke
the country to be inhabited in the scanty numbers usual on other parts of
the east coast; but none of the people were seen.

Aug. 7, at ten in the evening, we passed the end of Break-sea Spit in 13
fathoms, and hauled up south-east; but the winds were so unfavourable,
that on the 14th our latitude was no more than 29 deg. 19'. I kept the land
barely within sight, in order to obtain the greatest advantage from the
southwardly current; for, contrary to captain Cook's observation, it was
found to be strongest at the distance of six, and from thence to twenty
leagues. Close in with the shore, more especially in the bights which
fall within the general line of the coast, an eddy had been found setting
to the northward.

Light northern winds favoured us for two days; but returning to the
south-west, and sometimes blowing strong, it was the 20th in the evening
before the sloop was secured in Port Jackson, although the current had
set us 210 miles on the way.

I must acknowledge myself to have been disappointed in not being able to
penetrate into the interior of New South Wales, by either of the openings
examined in this expedition; but, however mortifying the conviction might
be, it was then an ascertained fact, that no river of importance
intersected the East Coast between the 24th and 39th degrees of south
latitude.

CONCLUSIVE REMARKS.

The account of the discoveries which resulted from the establishment of
the colony in New South Wales, closes with this expedition; and it
remains only to point out what was wanted to be done in these parts of
Terra Australis.

(Atlas, Plate I.)

In Van Diemen's Land, the opening round Point St. Vincent and the space
between Maria's Island and Cape Portland required to be further explored.
The north side also, from the want of a time keeper in the Norfolk,
required to have the longitude of its points better ascertained; and that
the bight between Circular Head and Cape Grim should be examined. In
Bass' Strait, some of the islands were known, but the middle of the
strait and its western entrance were in want of much investigation,
before it could be deemed a safe passage for ships; and the greater pa