Page:Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies.djvu/72

38 his hand to my foot and helped me to ascend from the prison.

The day the Tamar sailed was very fine. The Science, by which we came to V. D. Land, was passing down the Derwent at the same time, on her voyage for England; we parted from her on entering D'Entrecasteaux Channel, little anticipating the disaster by which she was lost off Cape Horn; where she was struck by a heavy sea, that swept away four of her men, and left the remainder, who were ultimately rescued by another ship, in a forlorn and perilous situation.—The various bays and islands of D'Entrecasteaux Channel, with their wood-covered hills looked beautiful. We came to anchor in the evening off Mount Royal. Numbers of fish called Flat-head and Rock Cod were taken. The former is firm, and resembles in figure the Bull-head of English rivers, but weighs about l½lb. The other is softer than the English cod, and weighs from 3 to 7lbs. When stewed with but little water it nearly dissolves, and makes very palatable soup;—at least so we sometimes found it when at sea, and having little but salt meat.

11th. Anchor was weighed early, and passing between the Acteon Islands and Recherche Bay—a navigation requiring great care—we rounded the Whales-head, and came into the open sea. The evening was beautifully fine. We passed close by the Mew Stone by moonlight. Jelly-fish, such as are said to be food of the whale, and resembling glass-beads, were in myriads in the day time, and at night the sea was illuminated by phosphorescent species. Sometimes we heard the cry of a small Penguin common in this vicinity, known by the name of the Jackass Penguin.

12th. About two o'clock in the morning, the wind changed to N.W. At four it blew a violent gale, attended by lightning, thunder, and rain. We had just advanced far enough to be able to enter the middle harbour of Port Davey, by its northern opening, which is to the south of the northermost conical rock in the annexed sketch. The rocky island between that, and the southermost of the three conical rocks to the south, shuts this harbour in from