A Voyage to Terra Australis. Matthew Flinders

      The penguin of these islands is of the kind denominated little; the back and upper parts are of a lead-coloured blue; the fore and under parts, white. They were generally found sitting on the rocks, in the day time, or in caverns near the water side. They burrow in the same manner as the sooty petrel; but, except in the time of rearing their young, do not seem, like it, to return to their holes every night. The places preferred for breeding are those at the back of the shore, where the sand is overspread with salt plants; and they were never found intermixed with the petrels, nor far from the salt water. Their flesh is so strong and fishy, that had not the skins served to make caps, rather handsome, and impenetrable to rain, the penguins would have escaped molestation.

      No other quadrupeds than the kangaroo, womat, and duck-billed aculeated ant-eater were found upon the islands. The kangaroo, is of a reddish brown, and resembles the smaller species which frequents the brush woods at Port Jackson: when full grown, it weighs from forty to fifty pounds. There were no traces of it upon the Passage Isles; but, upon Cape-Barren and Clarke's Islands, the kangaroo, was tolerably abundant, though difficult to be procured, owing to the thickness of its retreats. There were also numbers on Preservation Island, when the Sydney Cove was first run on shore; but having been much harassed and destroyed, a few only were shot during the time of our stay.

      Clarke's Island afforded the first specimen of the new animal, called womat; but I found it more numerous upon that of Cape Barren: Preservation and the Passage Isles do not possess it. This little bear-like quadruped is known in New South Wales, and called by the natives womat, wombat, or womback, according to the different dialects, or perhaps to the different rendering of the wood rangers who brought the information. It burrows like the badger, and on the Continent does not quit its retreat till dark; but it feeds at all times on the uninhabited islands, and was commonly seen foraging amongst the sea refuse on the shore, though the coarse grass seemed to be its usual nourishment. It is easily caught when at a distance from its burrow; its flesh resembles lean mutton in taste, and to us was acceptable food. Another species of this animal has been discovered in New South Wales, which lives in the tops of the trees and, in manners, bears much resemblance to the sloth.

      The aculeated ant-eater was not found on any other of the islands than that of Cape Barren: it is exceedingly fat, the flesh has a somewhat aromatic taste, and was thought delicious.

      Of the birds which frequent Furneaux's Islands, the most valuable are the goose and black swan; but this last is rarely seen here, even in the freshwater pools, and except to breed, seems never to go on shore. The goose approaches nearest to the description of the species called bernacle; it feeds upon grass, and seldom takes to the water. I found this bird in considerable numbers on the smaller isles, but principally upon Preservation Island; its usual weight was from seven to ten pounds, and it formed our best repasts, but had become shy. Gannets, shags, gulls, and red-bills were occasionally seen; as also crows, hawks, paroquets, and a few smaller birds. Fish were not plentiful, but some were taken with hook and line from the rocks.

      Speckled yellow snakes, of three or four feet in length, were found upon Preservation Island, and exist, no doubt, upon the larger isles. They sometimes get into the burrows of the sooty petrel, and probably destroy the young. I saw one dragged out by a sailor who expected to have taken a bird; but, being quick in his movements, he was not bitten. These snakes possess the venomous fangs; but no person experienced the degree of virulence in their poison.

      The schooner was ready to sail on Feb. 25; and the wind from the westward being fresh and favourable, we left Hamilton's Road to return to Port Jackson. It was still a matter of doubt whether the land to the south of the islands were, or were not, a part of Van Diemen's Land; and I therefore requested of Mr. Reed to make a stretch that way. At noon our latitude was 40° 44 2/3', and the peak of Cape Barren bore N. 13° E.; an island which had been visited by the Sydney-Cove's people, and was represented to be a breeding place for swans, bore from N. 68° W. to west, five or six miles, and there were some smaller islets behind it. The land lying two or three miles more to the south is sandy and low in front, but ascends in gently rising hills as it retreats into the country. Its general appearance was very different from that of Furneaux's Islands, the lower hills being covered with green grass, interspersed with clumps of wood, and the back land well clothed with timber trees.

      We stretched on until the land was seen beyond 40° 50'; and then veered to the northward. In this latitude, captain Furneaux says, "the land trenches away to the westward;"* and as he traced the coast from the south end of the country to this part, there could no longer be a doubt that it was joined to the land discovered by Tasman in 1642. The smokes which had constantly been seen rising from it showed that there were inhabitants; and this, combined with the circumstance of there being none upon the islands, seemed to argue a junction of Van Diemen's Land with New South Wales; for it was difficult to suppose, that men should have reached the more distant land, and not have attained the islands intermediately situated; nor was it admissible that, having reached them, they had perished for want of food. On the other hand, the great strength of the tides setting westward, past the islands, could only be caused by some exceedingly deep inlet, or by a passage through to the southern Indian Ocean. These contradictory circumstances were very embarrassing; and the schooner not being placed at my disposal, I was obliged, to my great regret, to leave this important geographical question undecided.

      [* Cook's Second Voyage, Vol. I. page 114.]

      At the time we veered to the northward, the coast of Van Diemen's Land was about three miles distant, and the furthest extreme, a low point, bore S. 15° E. two or three leagues. On repassing Cape-Barren Point at four o'clock. I obtained two sets of distances of the sun west of the moon, to pair with others of the sun on the east side, taken on the 10th, also within sight of the Cape. The mean result, freed from the errors of the tables, gave its longitude 148° 20' E; being 14' more than is assigned to it by captain Furneaux, but 5½' less than what appears to be its real situation.

      Nothing worthy of notice occurred in our passage back to Port Jackson: we made Hat Hill on March 7, and on the 9th, anchored in Sydney Cove.

      Mr. Bass had been returned a fortnight from his expedition in the whale boat; and he communicated all his notes and observations to be added to my chart. There seemed to want no other proof of the existence of a passage between New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, than that of sailing positively through it; but however anxious I was to obtain this proof, the gratification of my desire was required to be suspended by a voyage to Norfolk Island in the Reliance.

      FLINDERS and BASS. 1798.

      In September following, His Excellency Governor Hunter had the goodness to give me the Norfolk, a colonial sloop of twenty-five tons, with authority to penetrate behind Furneaux's Islands; and should a strait be found, to pass through it and return by the south end of Van Diemen's Land; making such examinations and surveys on the way as circumstances might permit. Twelve weeks were allowed for the performance of this service, and provisions for that time were put on board; the rest of the equipment was completed by the friendly care of Captain Waterhouse of the Reliance.

      I had the happiness to associate my friend Bass in this new expedition, and to form an excellent crew of eight volunteers from the king's ships; but a time keeper, that essential instrument to accuracy in nautical surveys, it was still impossible to obtain.

      My report of the seals at Furneaux's Islands had induced Messrs. Bishop and Simpson, the commander and supracargo of the snow Nautilus, to prepare their vessel for a sealing speculation to that quarter; and on Oct. 7, we sailed out of Port Jackson together.*

      [* Mr. Bass' Journal of observations upon the lands, etc. discovered or seen in this voyage, has been published by colonel Collins, in his Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Vol. II. page 143 et seq.; his observations will, therefore, be generally omitted in this account.]

      (Atlas, Pl. VIII.)

      The wind being fair, we passed Hat Hill at four in the afternoon, and next morning, made Mount Dromedary. I took this opportunity of passing between Montague Isle and the main; but the depth of water being uncertain, the Nautilus was desired by signal not to follow. There was no bottom with 13, and afterwards with 20 fathoms, at a