2' 31/2", its
irregularity during fifty-one days.

_Variation_ of the surveying compass, 0 deg. 46' west, observed when the
ship's head was E. S. E., or corrected to the meridian, 0 deg. 37' east; but
this variation seems to apply only to Coepang Bay; for about two degrees
to the eastward it was 1 deg. 4' west, corrected, and one degree to the
south-west it was 1 deg. 41' west.

The flood _tide_ comes from the southward, through Samow Strait, and
rises from three to nine or ten feet; high water usually took place as
the moon passed under and over the meridian, but the winds make a great
difference both in the time and rise of the tide.

CHAPTER X.

Departure from Timor.
Search made for the Trial Rocks.
Anchorage in Goose-Island Bay.
Interment of the boatswain, and sickly state of the ship's company.
Escape from the bay, and passage through Bass' Strait.
Arrival at Port Jackson.
Losses in men.
Survey and condemnation of the ship.
Plans for continuing the survey;
but preparation finally made for returning to England.
State of the colony at Port Jackson.

[FROM TIMOR. TOWARDS CAPE LEEUWIN.]

FRIDAY 8 APRIL 1803

(Atlas, Plate XVI.)

When we stretched out of Coepang Bay on the 8th of April, the wind was
light from the westward; in the afternoon we tacked towards Pulo Samow,
hoping that a canoe seen under the land might have the two deserters on
board; but this not being the case, they were given up. At six in the
evening, when we stood off, the town of Coepang bore S. 60 deg. E., six or
seven miles, and the north point of Samow distant one mile, with the
north-west extremity behind it, S. 70 deg. W. In this situation the depth was
74 fathoms, and soon afterwards 130 did not reach the bottom.

During the night the breeze veered to the south and eastward, and in the
morning [SATURDAY 9 APRIL 1803] to north-east, and we coasted along the
west side of Samow, four or five miles off, without getting soundings; it
is woody, hilly land, but not mountainous, and toward the south end is
quite low. A woody islet, called Tios in the charts, lies off the
south-west point, which is the sole thing like danger on the west side of
Samow; but the tides run strong here, and make ripplings which at first
alarm, from their great resemblance to breakers.

SUNDAY 10 APRIL 1803

It was evening on the 10th before we had any regular wind; it then sprung
up from the southward, and at six, when we made sail,

Samow, north-west p