Page:A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 1.djvu/173

East Coast, & V.D.'s Land.]

Point Waterhouse is higher than that of the island, and is composed of grassy, woody hills, rising over each other by gentle ascents. Upon the point there is a sandy hillock, and a reef of rocks extends out from it a quarter of a mile. We had 8 fathoms, whilst rounding this reef; and in steering through the passage, the soundings were 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 5, 6 fathoms; the sandy bottom being visible under the sloop. At the further end of the channel, a rocky islet and a small reef were passed, leaving them on the starbord hand. The islet was almost covered with sea birds and hair seals; from which circumstance we judged, that the natives of Van Diemen's Land were not able to get across here, any more than to the Swan Isles; and that, consequently, they had no canoes upon this part of the coast.

From Point Waterhouse, the shore trends S. 67° W., five or six miles, and is mostly rocky. It then takes a direction of S. S. W., in a long sandy beach, and afterwards curves westward to a projecting point, near which we had no ground with 13 fathoms a little before sunset. Another island had been for some time visible, and was then distant six miles: It was called The projecting point is over-topped with hillocks of almost bare sand, as is a second, which lies W. 6° S., two or three miles from, and much resembles, the first: these two projections received the joint name of Double Sandy Point. The back country was manifestly worse than any before seen on this coast. The pleasant looking hills of Point Waterhouse no longer approached the shore; but retiring far inland, left a low space between the back hills and the sea, which had every appearance of being sandy and barren.

In passing the western part of Double Sandy Point, we had 5, and then 4 fathoms; and saw a reef extending from it some distance to the westward. It was then nearly dark, and we hauled off upon a wind,