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Bass' Strait.]

was to me an important object; since they were connected with the former survey of Furneaux's Islands and the north-eastern part of Van Diemen's Land. The bearings taken at five were,

The hills upon Furneaux's great island, which I believe, but could not certainly ascertain to have been upon the westernmost point, will therefore lie very nearly S. 48° E., from the bluff south-west end of Kent's large Group, instead of S. 38° E., as before marked. This places the great island 10′ of longitude further east from the group, than was given by my run in the Francis during the night of Feb. 8, 1798.

We passed to the northward of the small new rock at the distance of three miles, and I judged it to lie four, or four-and-half leagues from the eastern side of Kent's large Group. No kind of danger was observed between them, but it was then nearly dark; and the wind being fresh and favourable, and not having more than ten days provisions in the ship, I felt it necessary to leave this and some other parts of Bass' Strait to a future examination; and we steered onward, east-north-east for Port Jackson.

At daylight of the 5th, the course was altered more northward; and at noon, land was seen from the mast head to the north-north-west, probably some of the hills at the back of the Long Beach, and distant not less than twenty leagues: our latitude was 38° 32′ south, and longitude 149° 35′ east. The wind had then moderated, and having shifted to north-west, we kept close up to make Cape Howe. At four, hove to and sounded, but no bottom could be had with 90 fathoms; the land extended in patches from west-northwest distant twenty-five or more leagues, to near the Ram Head at north; and consequently the hills at the back of the Long Beach