become a very thriving place, under
the auspices of Mr. Boyd, who is erecting a town there. This gentleman, I
am happy to say, employs the natives as part of the crew of his yacht;
they are also constantly engaged in the boats of the whaling station,
where their excellent eye renders them extremely useful in seeing and
harpooning the fish; and being particularly well-disposed, they might he
made something of.)

I was surprised to find by my observations* here that this part of the
coast is laid down ten miles too much to the eastward of Sydney, an error
I subsequently found to be continued to Jervis Bay; so that the course
from thence to Sydney, instead of being, according to the chart, North
1/4 East magnetic is North by East, a fact that should be borne in mind
by masters of vessels, until this part of the coast is properly surveyed.

(*Footnote. Which placed Point Brierly in latitude 37 degrees 6 minutes
40 seconds South, longitude 1 degree 18 minutes 18 seconds west of
Sydney; or 149 degrees 57 minutes 42 seconds east of Greenwich, according
to what I consider the meridian of Sydney.)

The error I found in the position of Twofold Bay induced me to commence
our survey there, for the purpose of ascertaining the position of Cape
Howe," which I discovered to be rather more out in longitude; while the
islet, instead of lying off it, lies four miles to the south-west.

(*Footnote. This Cape, in latitude 38 degrees 31 minutes 00 seconds South
and longitude 1 degree 14 minutes 15 seconds West of Sydney, although
rather low, is of bold approach, and admirably situated for a lighthouse.
Others erected on Montague Island and Point Perpendicular, would light
the whole coast as far as Sydney.)

FLINDERS ISLAND.

Leaving, we again spent several days under a close-reefed main-topsail
and a reefed fore-sail; but at length reached an anchorage on the eastern
shore of Flinders Island within the north-east side of a granitic lump
called Babel Islet. The flood tide came from the north-east at this
anchorage, which can only be used in easterly winds. There is a curious
dome on the inner side of Babel, which is connected by a sandy spit with
the large island. Within the eastern point of the latter are the
remarkable pyramidal hills, called the Patriarchs, rising out of a
scrubby plain, much cut up with lagoons, which forms the character of
this side of Flinders. We were enabled to fix the eastern shore of the
island, from Babel Isl