now scarcely convalescent, proceeded to
the westward.

DESCRIPTION OF COAST.

Without entering into details, I may briefly say, that to the eastward
the coast trended North 62 degrees East to Cape Portland, distant
fifty-eight miles; and that at the distance of eight, eighteen,
twenty-nine, forty-eight, and fifty-three miles, the rivers Currie,
Piper, Forestier, Tomahawk, and Ringarooma, empty themselves into wide
bays, which increase in depth as they advance eastwards. That formed by
the point opposite Waterhouse Island and Cape Portland,* which receives
the two last-mentioned rivers, and bears the name of the larger
Ringarooma Bay, is seven miles deep and fifteen miles wide. Mount Cameron
lies behind the head of it, where there is a vast extent of boggy land;
this is also the case in the next bay to the westward, Anderson Bay,
which receives the waters of the Forestier River.** The only good soil
seen was on the large Piper River, so that the disproportion of land fit
for cultivation on this part of the northern shore of Tasmania, with that
which is not, is very great. Behind the coast the eye wanders over
interminable woody ranges of various heights, thrown together in
irregular groups, called by the colonists Tiers. They are seldom
separated by valleys of any width, but rather by gullies, and are
generally covered with an impervious scrub. The most conspicuous points,
in addition to Mount Cameron, are Mounts Barrow and Arthur, two peaks
about 4,500 feet high, very much alike, and lying nine miles in a
north-west direction from each other. Mount Barrow bears, from
Launceston, East-North-East, thirteen miles.

(*Footnote. Small vessels anchor behind an island on the west side of
this cape, to take away the wool from the sheep-stations in the
neighbourhood. The rivers mentioned in the text are only navigable for
boats, and by them only at high-water.)

(**Footnote. A small bay, with some outlying rocks off its points,
bearing South-South-East, seven miles from Ninth Island, affords shelter
for small vessels in its north-west corner. The passage inside that
island should be used with caution.)

DON TOMAS.

At the large Piper River I passed a night at the station of a gentleman
of the name of Noland, whom I found to be the nephew of a person of
remarkable talent and great influence with the Peruvian Government, known
only, at Lima, by the name of Don Tomas. There was a good deal of mystery
about his character and