The weather being moderate and pleasant in the morning of the
24th, I went on board the Supply, along with Lieutenants
Waterhouse and Fowell, and twenty-two of the crew, belonging to
the late Sirius; and at noon, we made sail for Port Jackson.

As I have now taken leave of this island, I shall add my
general observations on it; and although several of them may
probably have been made before, in the course of this journal,
yet it perhaps may not be amiss to collect them together in one
point of view.

NORFOLK ISLAND.

By the mean of several meridional altitudes of the sun, and a
great number of lunar observations, the latitude of Sydney-Bay is
29 deg. 04' 40" south, and its longitude 168 deg. 12' east, of
Greenwich. The form of the island is a long square, and it
contains about fourteen thousand acres: it is six miles in length
and four in breadth.

Face of the country_.--The island is very hilly, and
some of the valleys are tolerably large, considering the size of
the island; but most of them are only deep hollows, formed by the
steep hills on each side, some of which rise so perpendicular
that they cannot be cultivated. There are some extensive plains
on the summits of the hills. Mount Pitt is the only remarkable
hill on the island, and is about two hundred fathoms high. The
cliffs round the island are about forty fathoms high, and are
quite perpendicular: the basis of them, as well as most of the
rocks and reefs round the island, is a hard, firm clay, of a very
fine texture. The whole island is covered with a very thick
forest, choaked up with underwood, which makes it impassable
until it is cleared away.

-Water_.--The island is well supplied with many streams
of very fine water, some of which are sufficiently large to turn
a number of mills: it is probable that most of these rivulets
originate from springs near Mount Pitt. On a hill, near the
middle of the island, between Cascade and Sydney bays, there is a
pond of fresh water, about half an acre: there is no rivulet near
it, nor can any spring be perceived, yet, in the greatest
drought, it constantly remains full, and has a very good taste.
All these streams abound with very fine eels.

-Soil_.--From the sides of the cliffs which surround the
coast, to the summit of Mount Pitt, there is a continuation of
the finest soil, varying from a rich brown mould to a light red
earth. Some large stones are found on different parts of the
island.

-Air_.--As a p