es in length. Bights are formed in the four sides;
but that to the north seems alone to afford good anchorage. In its
composition this island is nearly the same as that of Waldegrave's
largest isle; but between the granitic basis and the calcareous top there
is a _stratum_ of sand stone, in some places twenty feet thick. The
vegetation differed from that of other islands before visited, in that
the lower lands were covered with large bushes; and there was very little
either of the white, velvety shrub (_atriplex_) or of the tufted, wiry
grass. A small species of kangaroo, not bigger than a cat, was rather
numerous. I shot five of them, and some others were killed by the
botanists and their attendants, and found to be in tolerably good
condition. We were now beginning to want a supply of water, and the
northern part of the island was sought over carefully for it; but the
nearest approach to success was in finding dried-up swamps in which the
growing plants were tinged red, as if the water had been brackish. No
other trees than a few small _casuarinas_, at a distance from the
anchorage, were seen upon the island; but wood for fuel might with some
difficulty be picked out from the larger bushes growing near the shore.
The beaches were frequented by seals of the hair kind. A family of them
consisting of a male, four or five females, and as many cubs was lying
asleep at every two or three hundred yards. Their security was such that
I approached several of these families very closely; and retired without
disturbing their domestic tranquillity or being perceived by them.

The _latitude_ of the north-east sandy cove in Flinders' Island was found
to be 33 deg. 41' south, and _longitude_ 134 deg. 271/2' east. The _variation_ on
board, observed by Mr. Thistle on the binnacle with the ship's head
south-by-east, was 0 deg. 6' east; which, corrected, gives 0 deg. 44' for the
variation to be allowed on the bearings taken on shore, or on board the
ship with the head at north or south. The tide appeared to be as
inconsiderable here as in Nuyts' Archipelago. With the present southern
winds the temperature at this island was very agreeable; the thermometer
stood between 65 deg. and 68 deg., and the barometer at 30.08 inches, and it was
rising.

[SOUTH COAST. FROM INVESTIGATOR'S GROUP.]

SUNDAY 14 FEBRUARY 1802

In the morning of the 14th, the wind was at south-south-east. We weighed
the anchor at daylight, and beat to windward the whol