age, since we came round Van Diemen's Land, had been
attended with much bad weather, very violent squalls, and a thick
haze; particularly with the wind from the eastward: I had before
observed, that in the winter-time, upon this coast, we were
subject to much bad weather; and this passage convinced me of the
necessity, when ships are intended to be sent to this settlement,
that the season should be considered and attended to. During the
summer months we were sometimes subject to thunder, lightning,
and strong squalls; but in general the weather is fine. If in the
fairest weather you observe it to lighten in the lee part of the
horizon, you should prepare for a squall from that quarter, which
is in general pretty severe.

In passing (at a distance from the coast) between the islands
of Schooten and Furneaux, and Point Hicks; the former being the
northermost of Captain Furneaux's observations here, and the
latter the southermost part, which Captain Cook saw when he
sailed along the coast, there has been no land seen, and from our
having felt an easterly set of current, when the wind was from
that quarter (north-west) we had an uncommon large sea, there is
reason thence to believe, that there is in that space either a
very deep gulf, or a straight, which may separate Van Diemen's
Land from New Holland: there have _no_ discoveries been made
on the western side of this land in the parallel I allude to,
between 39 deg. 00' and 42 deg. 00' south, the land there having
never been seen.

[A Table of the winds and weather etc. on a passage from the Cape of
Good Hope to Port Jackson in His Majesty's ship Sirius, 1789.]
[An Account of Observations for finding the variation of the compass...]
[The tables are included in the HTML version]

Chapter VI

TRANSACTIONS AT PORT JACKSON

May 1789 to January 1790

-The small-pox makes its appearance among the
natives.--Its fatal effects.--A criminal court held.--Six marines
tried and convicted.--Governor Phillip visits
Broken-bay.--Explores its various inlets.--Returns to Port
Jackson. Broken-bay surveyed.--Botany-bay surveyed.--Two natives
brought to the settlement, and kindly treated.--One of them makes
his escape.-

As soon as the ship was secured, I went on shore to wait on
the governor, whom I found in good health; he was sitting by the
fire, drinking tea with a few friends; among whom I observed a
native man of this country, who was decently cloathed, and seemed
to be as m