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NARRATIVE of an Expedition in the Colonial sloop Norfolk, from Port Jackson, through the Strait which separates Van Diemen's Land from New Holland, and from thence round the South Cape back to Port Jackson, completing the circumnavigation of the former Island, with some remarks on the coasts and harbours, by Matthew Flinders, 2nd l't, H.M.S. Reliance.*

[* Accounts of this voyage will be found in Collins (vol. ii, pp. 143 to 194), and Flinders's "Terra Australis" (vol. i., pp. cxxxviii to cxciii) —the former by Bass, the latter by Flinders. The sloop Norfolk was built by Captain Townson at Norfolk Island, in the autumn of 1798, to carry his despatches to Sydney (ante, p. 408). She was 25 tons burden, and was accompanied by a private vessel named the Nautilus (Captain Bishop and Supercargo Simpson), in quest of seals at Furneaux's Island.]

(Printed from a MS. in the possession of the Honorable Philip Gidley King, M.L.C.)

NOTE.—The bearings in the following journal are all magnetic, unless it is otherwise particularly expressed.

At daylight, October 7th, weighed from the Cove with a light westerly air, in company with the snow Nautilus, which was bound to Furneaux's Island to seal. About 9 o'clock passed between the Heads, the sea-breeze coming from the N.E. By 4 o'clock Hat Hill bore true west, 8 leagues, from which we took our departure, steering a course parallel with the coast.

October 8th.—At 8 a.m. hauled up and passed between Montague Island** and the coast under Mount Dromedary. There is a small cove on the west side where a boat may land either with the sea or northerly winds. We got on ground with 13 fathoms at a mile distant from the west side, nor saw any danger beyond a cable's length from the shore. It lays N.E. b. E. ½ E. from Mt. Dromedary. No observation at noon. Supposed latitude, 36° 28'; Dromedary, N.W. by N. 4 leagues.

[** Montague Island was first discovered to be separated from the mainland by the convict ship Surprize.]

October 9th.—At daybreak the wind shifted to S.S.W.; bore away for Twofold Bay. At half-past 10 we were 4 miles due east of Green Cape, *** which was nearly on with Cape Howe, bearing about S. At noon we were abreast of a point resembling a haycock,**** which, being about 4 miles to the south of Twofold Bay, and distinguishable at some distance, is a good mark for knowing the bay from that side. Had 18 fam. ¾ of a mile from it. Having passed the point and on with Green Cape at S. 30° E., the intermediate 7 or 8 miles presenting a moderately low and not uneven coast, waving into small coves near the point.

[*** So called by Flinders when he passed it in the schooner Francis on 3rd February, 1798.]

[**** Called by Flinders "Haycock Point".]

At a cable's length from the low rock that lays a little off the south point of the bay there is 10 f'ms, but in standing across to the north side had no ground with 13 till we came near the head, on the west side of which is Snug Cove, where we anchored in 3½ f'ms, sandy bottom. The south point of the bay locked on with the head. The latitude of Snug Cove, 37° 4' 13" S. The variation, about 10° East.

The importance of this bay arises from its local situation, there being no other place of shelter for a vessel larger than a rowing-boat from Jervis Bay, in latitude 35° 5' S., round to Corner Inlet or to Furneaux's Island in 40½°. The best of the two anchoring-places is that on the north side in Snug Cove off the centre of the beach, where the south point of the bay is shut on with the head in 5 f'ms water. A ship attempting to moor with a southerly wind should drop her outer anchor a little before the head comes on with the point, and should be careful to keep the lead out astern as she veers in shore, for she may get into less 3 before she is aware. Half a cable upon the inshore anchor would be sufficient. She would have room to swing at single anchor if let go at the time the land shuts on, and I believe two if not three ships might find berths here; smaller vessels would go closer in shore.

Snug Cove is so situated at the back of Stony Head that it is not seen till the vessel comes right off it; but the long outer beach on the north side, and then the head, point out its place in the bay sufficiently for a vessel to run for it who had not the sketch.*

[* The sketches referred to in this narrative have not been preserved. They were, however, probably identical with those published by Flinders in his "Terra Australis".]

At the east end of the great south beach there is an opening which would afford excellent shelter for boats that could pass over the bar-entrance in 6 feet water; within side there are holes of 12 or 15 feet depth. This opening leads into a shoal lagoon of saltwater, which spreads itself at the back of the beach almost the whole length. There are smaller lagoons or swamps at the back of almost every beach in the bay, but none that we could drink the water of, except at the two anchoring-places, and these were brackish. Wood can be had in abundance in every part of the bay. This place will probably be of service to whalers, who, when fishing off the coast, might be glad to get shelter from a gale of wind in a place that would take so little time in going in and out, and it is not unlikely but they might find some right fish here; we saw the remains of one.** This bay has some marks by which it may be known besides its latitude. The land at the back lays much more in hummocks than on any part of the coast near it; and there is a roundish mount about 3 leagues inland, bearing S.W. ½ W. from the bay, which is sufficiently distinguishable above the neighbouring hills to be seen at some distance, and may be more especially known in a fine day by having Mt. Dromedary in sight about 12 leagues distant, bearing N. b. W. from the entrance of Twofold Bay. The outer points of the bay are remarkable by having each a dry rock laying off them. The next point without that on the south side is the before-mentioned Haycock Point; and we noticed that the projection next the north point was broken, remarkable land, a flat piece appearing to be separated from it. It is high water about nine hours, and rises about 7 feet. The longitude of the coast is 150° 13', which is 13 miles farther to the eastward. Our time was employed from the 9th to the 14th in surveying this bay.

[** The reef or rock on which these remains were seen was named by Flinders "Whale Spit".]

October 14th.—In the morning sailed; and soon after 6 o'clock, having run 10 leagues, took our departure from Cape Howe, bearing N.W. about 4 leagues, and steered a course for Furneaux's Land (if any such existed), north of Sisters, in the latitude of 39°. The wind coming round to the N.W., I hauled up S.W., thinking it immaterial whether we first made Wilson's Promontory and run east from it to the meridian of the Sisters, or vice versa, each of them being equally well calculated to ascertain whether the promontory was the land seen by Captain Furneaux after leaving the islands, or whether any other existed in that latitude.

October 15th.—From daybreak on Monday to noon we kept close to the wind, which was light.

Light and variable from the westward. Our observed latitude then was 38° 34', and longitude by dead reckoning 149° 16' E., but we then thought it was farther to the westward, from having the appearance of land N.N.W. of us supposed to be the hills at the back of the long beach; this could have been only an appearance.

The amplitude, 9° 54' east variation at sunset; and we again thought there was land bearing well to the westward, which raised our hopes of soon making Wilson's Promontory. As soon as the stars made their appearance I got a set of distances of Fomalhaut east and Antares west of the moon, by each of the sextants. The result was considerably to the eastward of our dead reckoning, and, being corroborated by some taken on board the Nautilus, destroyed all hopes of a westerly current.

October 16th.—Soon after daylight tacked to the N.W'ward, the wind being at W.S.W., but saw no land; at noon, latitude 38° 42½' S., longitude by dead reckoning 148° 39' E. The weather continued fine, whilst the wind shifted gradually round to the south to east in the course of the following night. We kept to the wind till daylight, and then made the signal to the Nautilus and bore away S.W. to make the promontory.

October 17th.—At noon the latitude was 39° 11' S., longitude 148° E., and we then kept W. b. S. right before the wind, but in half an hour altered the course to steer for land which appeared in the S.S.W. At 1 hove to, and got ground with 30 f'ms, broken shells, being then about 5 leagues from the islands. They proved to be the high barren land, separated by a passage, which I had seen when in the Francis, schooner; but had laid down a few miles too far to the southward. They afterwards obtained the name of Kent's Group.

But little account can be given of the longitude of these islands, having no timekeeper on board, but 147° 35' E. for their centre seems to agree best with their supposed distance from Furneaux Island; the latitude is 39° 27' S. At 4 o'clock we were close to the small island, off the N.E. end, and bore away along the north side, and through the channel which nearly divides the group into two equal parts. It lays S.S.W. through; is about ¾ of a mile wide, and so deep that 7 f'ms up and down did not reach the bottom. There are two coves on the east and one on the west side, in one or other of which small vessels might lay securely in all winds. At the back of these and in some other places the high bluff land is intersected by gullies, out of which gusts of wind come which would often make it dangerous to carry much sail in passing through. We entered the channel with a fresh breeze, but were soon becalmed under the land, when in a moment a gust laid the gunwale so far under water that the Nautilus expected to go to Furneaux's Island by herself. After this proof there could not be much doubt but that if the rigging was well set up the mast was able to upset the sloop, and it is my opinion that the stringy will make the best of lower masts, when lightened a little by drying, for those vessels that carry them of a single stick.

When clear of the channel we saw the small islands bearing S.W. by W., 6 or 7 miles, and a pyramidal rock to the south-eastwards, but although the bearing differs a good deal it is most probably the same that was seen in the Francis. Night coming on prevented our ascertaining the point; however, we saw nothing of it steering S.E. b. S.

We were now so far to the southward, and the present wind rendering it impossible to make an east course from Wilson's Promontory, that I gave up the search after Furneaux's Land till our return, and kept to the wind all night, to make the island as far to the northward as we could.

October 18th.—At daybreak moderately high land appeared through the haze from N.E. to E.N.E., and soon after a round hill to the southward of east, which proved to be Mt. Chappell, and was as conspicuous from this as from the other side; the mountains of Furneaux's largest island were obscured by the haze. The wind hanging obstinately to the eastward, we tacked to the northward, working up under the low land between us and the mount. At noon the observed latitude was 40° 22' S., and the mount bore 28° to the northward of east, the nearest land—a low, barren island, 2 or 3 miles in length—being about 4 miles distant. On approaching the high land first made in the morning we found a small low island laying to the southward of it, and connected, or nearly so, by a circular reef of rocks, whose convex side was to the eastward. The wind being very strong, and the weather dull and threatening, I determined to try for anchorage under the lee of the reef for the night. We accordingly luffed close round the island about dusk, made a tack into the bight, and, finding the place well sheltered from the easterly sea, dropped the anchor in 5 f'ms., having found a coarse sandy bottom with 7 at the previous cast, but it proved to be rocky where the anchor lay. The Nautilus stood in after us, but, not liking the appearance of the place, ran out to sea again. Between the island and the reef is a space where we expected there would be a passage out for us should the wind come round to the westward, but, on examining it in the boat, I found there was not sufficient water through for the sloop to escape, and the bottom was very foul everywhere. Fearing the rocks might cut our cable, or the wind shift in the night, we weighed the anchor with a good deal of difficulty, stood out, and after running 2 leagues to the southward, hauled to the wind, under the close-reefed mainsail and storm-jib till daylight, and then bore away to pass between Mt. Chappell and the low western islands to join the Nautilus, who was standing off and on.

October 19th.—The wind being now from the N.E., on approaching the mount it appeared that the island on which it stood was small, and that the low land between it and the small western island was a separate island; but of the width and depth of the channel between it and the mount I cannot speak, as the lee side prevented us from fetching up, and the weather was so thick and rainy that nothing could be seen of it.. There is a bight on the east side of the large western island with a sandy beach, which would afford shelter from westerly winds. The water in this channel is discoloured, but there is more than 10 f'ms through it. Its width is near 2 miles. The water is also very pale for a considerable distance off the west side of these islands. On sounding we found a sandy bottom, with 23 and 25 f'ms at 3 leagues off. This cluster bears the name of Chappell Isles, consonant with the mount. They are rocky, extremely barren, and low, except the mount, which then appeared a conspicuous object over them; but it was so no longer when the granite mountains of Furneaux's largest island made their appearance through the haze, and their towering peaks, bathed in the late showers, reflected the gleaming sunshine, and presented a spectacle so magnificent and stupendous that the circular, gently-declining Mount Chappell ceased to attract attention. I could not at the moment blame the sterility that produced so rich a scene. Having joined the Nautilus, we steered to the eastward amongst several small rocky islets for Cape Franklin, which is the west end of Cape Barren Island. The passage between this and the large island appeared to be clear on this side, but I afterwards learned from Mr. Bishop that small islands and rocks lay in many [parts] of it. Preservation Island being low, and laying in the wake of the hills on Clarke's Island, when seen from this direction did not make its appearance till we were very near it. Mr. Bass and myself went on shore at the west end of the island, which we passed close to, as well as to keep clear of the breakers, which lay a long way from Night Island, as for the convenience of landing.

October 20th.—I proposed to go ahead of the Nautilus with the sloop, into Armstrong's Channel, and ascertain the nearest situation of the sealing points for her to lay in. About 10 o'clock on the following day we weighed with a westerly wind, and towed his boat over. By keeping a little over to Clarke's Island, the soundings were never less than 3½ f'ms, and 8 and 9 in the middle of the channel past Battery Island. Here the boat returned to pilot the snow. We stood on as far as the N.E. point of Clarke's Island, and landed on the largest of the rocks that lay off it. Finding the snow did not follow, we turned back with the flood-tide, intending to stop in the corner near Point Whombat, but finding it shoal, we anchored 2 or 3 cables' length from the N.E. side of Battery Island in 3½ f'ms, with a sandy bottom.

October 22nd.—There is a large shoal laying to the eastward of Clarke's Island, and nearly, if not quite, joins the western passage island. This shoal extended a good way to the northward, and is dry in some places at low water. Standing round the north end of this, we saw the snow at an anchor up in the opposite bight, several miles farther from the seal rocks than I proposed her to lay, which was off the southernmost beach near the high land of Cape Barren; but it afterwards proved that she was in a better place, the beach not being near so well sheltered from the present westerly wind as I expected it would have been by the before-mentioned shoal. Having passed two rocks which lay about three cables' length off the beach, we luffed round and let go the anchor, but found it did not hold; the small one was then thrown over to assist it, not having the sheet-cable bent, but neither did it hold, both stops appearing to have broken from the rings, so that their weight was all we had to depend upon, and this was not sufficient to hold the sloop in a strong breeze. By being very expeditious, the sheet-cable was bent, and the anchor got over the side, before the sloop struck; but we had only 7 feet water abaft.

October 27th.—We were detained at this anchorage by a heavy gale of wind till this morning, when it became more moderate, and we weighed and stood over with the flood-tide to the Western Passage Island, on which two of the people landed to get a few sealskins. In standing from thence to speak the snow* before our final departure, the shoal water on the north side of the channel obliged us to tack; and a heavy squall coming on at the same time, we anchored in 5 fathoms, and soon after let go the sheet-anchor, there being a good deal of sea and the wind blowing a gale from W.S.W. The peak of Cape Barren bore from us N.N.E. ½ E., and the inner rocky point S.E. b. S. A boat that came to us in consequence of a signal was not able to return till the following morning.

[* The sealing-vessel Nautilus.]

October 29th.—It was not till the morning of the Monday following that the gale was sufficiently moderated to allow of moving; we then ran over to the little sandy bay under the lee of the island, which the two people were upon, and anchored in 2½ fathoms, having the rocks off the N.E. end of the island and the peak nearly on at N.N.E. The outer part of the reef that lays off the south point of the bay bore S.E. b. E. and within 1½ points of being shut on with the south end of the eastern island, which is the only part that this bay is exposed at; from thirty points of the compass it is tolerably well sheltered.

The channel between these two Passage Islands lays about S.S.E. and N.N.W., and is nearly a mile wide. The flood coming from the southward joins the more rapid tide from the eastern passage and runs to the N.W'ward, leaving a shoal on each side.

After filling up the large bight called Kent's Bay, by Mr. Simpson, where the snow lay, the tide turns to the W.S.W., between the N.E. end of Clarke's Island and the opposite sloping point on Cape Barren Island. The limits of the channel being here contracted, the velocity of the tide is increased, and thence the depth of this part is greater than we found it anywhere else. On the west side of these projections the sand left by the eddy has accumulated to shoals, which are partly dry at low water. The body of the tide runs west-southerly, past the south end of Battery Island and Point Whombat, in a channel of 9 to 12 fa'ms deep, and continues its course through between the northern end of Preservation Island and the opposite shore, where as far as we went there is 7 to 10 fa'ms in the deepest. On the west side of Point Whombat there is a shoal, which extends along the shore and bounds the north side of the channel. There is also one in the wake of Preservation Island, bounding the south side. It lays directly under the lee of the body of this island with a westerly wind.

The passage between Clarke's and Preservation Islands is wider and shoaler than that on the north side of the latter. There seems to be but little tide running through either way, but it is open to the S.W. wind and swell.

The passage into Kent's Bay lays close along the shore on the east side of Sloping Point, and the anchorage in 5 to 7 fa'ms, at the back of a small rocky islet, which breaks off the southerly sea, and none other can have any effect. No ship ought to attempt to go on the north side of Battery Island. In the afternoon, whilst we were on shore, the westerly wind died away, and a breeze sprung up at E. b. S., which threw some swell into the bay, although the wind had near a point hold of the eastern island, and was light.

October 30th.—Before the morning it blew a moderate breeze from the westward, and as there was good cause to distrust the sloop's ability to advance in the teeth of it, we employed Tuesday as preceding day, in getting a few sealskins dried to make us good warm caps.

October 31st.—On Wednesday morning we got under weigh in time enough to have the advantage of the whole of the flood, which was the weather tide, what wind there was being still from the westward. At noon the observed latitude was 40° 39' 17" S., and the largest of the Swan Islands bore S. 43 W. about 7 miles; when it bore S.S.W. 1½ miles, we sounded in 14 f'ms, upon a sandy bottom, and at 1½ cables' length off the rocks at the east end of the island in 10 f'ms. The flood-tide having done running, and the wind being still from the westward, we turned up into a little sandy bay and anchored soon after 3 o'clock in 4 f'ms, at 2 or 3 cables' lengths from the beach, the S.E. point of the island bearing N. 66° E., and the extreme of Van Diemen's Land S. 49° E. between 3 or 4 leagues, between which points this little bay is exposed to the easterly winds. This island is near 3 miles in length, and in its shape and produce seems to resemble Preservation Island; but the latter has the advantage in having kangaroos upon it, no marks of which were seen here. We might have expected to find seals here, being in sight of the islands where they abound, but not one was met with. Indeed the selection of place which these animals make is beyond my comprehension; they will leave one island unoccupied close to several others where they cover the shores—nay, one point upon the same island will be so left, and totally without any apparent reason, at least in the form or situation of the ground. We may conjecture that they follow their food, preferring those points and islands for their residence where the most fish are to be found; and the choice of the latter is determined by streams and eddies, and perhaps by many other causes which to us are imperceptible. I had been led to suppose we should find great numbers of swans upon this island, for a man who had been left at Preservation Island with a part of the cargo of the wrecked ship Sydney Cove, told me he had visited it and found the ground thickly strewed with their eggs, from which account I had called this and the small rocky patches near it the Swan Isles, a name they appear very little to deserve.

November 1st.—The flood making about 9 o'clock in the morning, we were under weigh at that time, and off the south end of the island, carrying 6, 7, and 8 fathoms along it at less than 2 cables' lengths from the rocks. There is another bay at the S.W. end of the island; it does not bight back so far as that in which we anchored at the S.E., but having a more southern aspect, it seems to be not so much exposed to easterly winds.

Being nearly calm, we drifted with the tide towards the N.E. point of Van Diemen's Land, afterwards named by Governor Hunter, Cape Portland; the depth of water generally 8 f'ms, with a sandy bottom, to within a mile of the shore, when it shoaled to 3. The sun was upon the meridian whilst in that situation, and gave the latitude 40° 43' 40" S., and the peak of Cape Barren bearing N. 31° E., the longitude will be 148° 6'; taking the peak in 148° 26' E., as the run to Low Head at the entrance of Port Dalrymple, and the lunar observations taken in that port, afterwards gave it. Had I been fortunate enough to have had one of the timekeepers on board the sloop that were at Port Jackson, the relative positions of all these places that are within a few days' run of Port Dalrymple would have been well ascertained, and from the arrangement of the observations taken there, and their number, the real situations would probably have been as near the truth as the lunar distances at present usually give.

From the easternmost extreme of the land to Cape Portland the shore is sandy, and apparently barren enough, but rises gradually to hills, which seem well clothed with verdure. The coast is almost a continued beach. There are two or three small low islands off the cape, which bore W.N.W. about 2 miles at noon, and some patches of dry sand between them and the sloop. Fearing these might be connected with the cape by shoals, we put the vessel's head to the northward, and as she had steerage way, expected to have passed round the whole. This was accomplished, but the tide increased its rapidity so much on approaching the outermost island that it took away all command of the vessel, and we no sooner perceived a ledge of rocks laying off the N.E. end of the island than we were hurried into the middle of it, and saw the stones close under the bottom. Before the sweeps could be got out or any other movement effected, the tide carried us into deep water; and probably found a deeper channel for us than we could have done for ourselves.