ne many times in the season; after which they go very
little on shore. In Terra Australis, the season appears to commence in
August, and to terminate in January or February.

The _latitude_ of our anchorage, one mile from the south-east side of
Bountiful Island, was 16 deg. 41' south. Lieutenant Flinders observed six
sets of lunar distances, which gave 139 deg. 46' 18" east _longitude_; but
the time keeper No. 543 made it 141/2' east of Inspection Hill, or in 139 deg.
591/2'. The _variation_ of the compass, from azimuth and amplitude observed
with the ship's head in the magnetic meridian, was 3 deg. 46' east; and at my
station on shore, an amplitude with the theodolite gave 3 deg. 47' east. From
a little past ten in the morning to eleven at night, the _tide_ ran half
a mile an hour to the S. W., and N. E. during the remainder of the
twenty-four hours; the first, which seemed to be the flood, was only
three hours after the moon, above six hours earlier than in the
Investigator's Road; but the time of high water by the shore might be
very different: no greater rise than five feet was perceivable by the
lead line.

SUNDAY 5 DECEMBER 1802

In the morning of the 5th, we quitted Bountiful Island to resume our
examination at Cape Van Diemen; and the weather being rainy, with thunder
and lightning, and the wind fresh at N. N. E., we passed round the
smaller island, two miles to the southwest, before hauling to the
northward. At ten o'clock, Cape Van Diemen was distant three miles, and
we tacked to the east; and from that time till evening, continued to work
up between the cape and a shoal lying two leagues from it to the E. S. E.
This shoal is a narrow ridge of sand, over which we had passed in going
to Bountiful Island; but there were now breakers upon a more southern
part. It seems to be formed by different sets of tide amongst the
islands, and to be steep to; for in passing over, the soundings had been
13, 4, 5, 7, 11 fathoms, almost as quick as the lead could be heaved. At
dusk the wind had gone down, and the anchor was dropped in 6 fathoms,
sand and shells, in the following situation.

C. Van Diemen, the S. E. extreme, dist. 3 miles, S. 75 deg. W.
The island close to it, N. 57 deg. to 21 W.
Isle Pisonia, distant 3 miles, N. 55 to 61 E.
Bountiful I., station on the green hillock, S. 40 E.

That part of Cape Van Diemen above set, is in latitude 16 deg. 32' south, and
longitu