Page:A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 1.djvu/213

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

We had squally weather in the afternoon, with the wind at north-west; and being unable to get near Maria's Island before the evening, bore away northward, having then a fresh breeze at W.S.W. Schouten's Island was passed within two miles at ten o'clock, and at eleven, a piece of land called Vanderlin's Island by Tasman, but which has since been found to be the southern extremity of a peninsula. We then steered north, to keep in with the coast; but the wind drawing forward in the morning of the 5th, the sloop was drifted off, by noon, to four or five leagues. The land then abreast rose in ranges of irregular, well-wooded hills; and behind them were two peaks and a flat-topped piece of land, seemingly not many leagues from the shore. The southernmost of the two peaks is the most elevated, and appears to be the high round mountain seen by Tasman on Dec 4 and 5, 1642; I have, therefore, called it Tasman's Peak. It is the northernmost part seen by him on this side of Van Diemen's Land, as Mount Heemskerk was on the west coast: the flat-topped mountain is that which colonel Paterson afterwards named Benlomen. To the southward, the land was visible at a great distance; and if Schouten's Island and the cape of the peninsula near it can possibly be seen so far as twenty leagues from the deck, it must have been them. My observation and bearings at this time were as follow: It was to me a subject of regret, that the wind did not allow of keeping close in with this east coast, since captain Furneaux's examination was made at too great a distance to be exact; but my limited time of absence being expired, and provisions nearly out, nothing more could be attempted than what might be done in the way to Port Jackson.