Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/234

214 which often advanced or retarded them by everal hours.

The heltered ituation of this harbour, renders it the mot commodious in the world for veels to put into in order to be repaired. The vat forets, with which it is urrounded, furnih a timber which our carpenters conidered as very proper for hip building, and which they employed with great advantage.

During our tay of nearly a month at this place, the weather was very unfavourable for making atronomical obervations. The eaon of the year was likewie not an eligible one for invetigating thee coats, which was rendered till more difficult by the violence of the winds.

Whilt we remained at the Cape of Van Diemen, the north-wet and outh-wet winds were very violent: the former were generally attended with torms and heavy rains.

As oon as it was day the veels were towed to the mouth of the harbour, from whence we ailed with a north breeze towards the new trait, which we intended to enter.

After ranging along the windings of the reef, which we had left on our larboard ide when we entered Tempet-bay, we were at ten o'clock in the forenoon at the ditance of about 7,600 toies from the entrance of the trait, which bore N.N.W.