ow level
nature of the country, the reader can imagine, as also how much it
surprised us to find that from the boat at high-water our eyes could
wander over miles. Occasionally on the plains, rendered warm from their
colour reflecting the powerful beams of the sun, were to be seen whirling
clouds of dust, towering upwards until their centrifugal force became
exhausted. The temperature, however, was lower about four in the morning
than we had noticed it since leaving Sydney, being only 65 degrees, when
easterly or land winds prevailed; those in the afternoon were generally
from seaward.

A slight rise, even of ten feet, in the water beyond the tidal change,
must overflow a vast portion of such very low country; many evidences of
this having taken place were observed.*

(*Footnote. At the entrance of Van Diemen's Inlet it is high-water on the
full and change of the moon at a quarter to seven; but in the upper part
the tides are three hours and a quarter later. The length of both flood
and ebb is twelve hours, and the direction of the former stream from the
northward, following the eastern shore of the Gulf.)

NATIVE WELL.

The formation of this part of the continent is of very recent date, as we
did not observe any rock; and the soil is chiefly alluvial. The only
fresh water found was at a native well, half a mile South-East from the
eastern entrance point of the inlet.

In the morning of the 5th, the boats reached the ship. During our absence
a few natives had made their appearance on the beach, attending some
fires, it seemed, on a hunting excursion. Several grampuses were seen at
the anchorage, also many dugongs and turtles.

In the evening the Beagle was standing across the Gulf towards Bountiful
Islands. I found that with the winds we had experienced the last few days
it would be the most expeditious way of completing our survey of the Gulf
to proceed at once to the head of it, as we should then have a fair wind,
to examine the coast back to Van Diemen's Inlet.

I also resolved to ascertain if the supply of water that Flinders found
on Sweers Island was still to be obtained; and on our way thither
determined on visiting Bountiful Islands, where we arrived accordingly on
the morning of the 6th. The greatest depth we had in crossing the Gulf
was 15 fathoms, the nature of the bottom being a fine dark sandy mud.

Bountiful Islands form the eastern part of a group called Wellesley
Islands, and were so named by Fl