"Saturday, January 23rd. P.M. The launch returned with some sealskins of prime fur and I was told that the Rock was full of mutton-birds, in consequence of this I had the boat on shore and procured 80 or 90 of them, served ditto to the people.
"Sunday, January 24th. Throughout this 24 hours the weather has been remarkably thick and hazy...stood off and on till 4 P.M...then we made some sail to get sight of land if possible before dark and by 8 P.M. saw the north-west point of the Bay of Seals being north by west distant 5 miles, 2 Seal Rocks distant 6 miles north by east...at 2 A.M. found the vessel close to the breakers and a strong ripple of a current with a very confused jump of a sea. Tacked and stood off till daylight. By 6 A.M. we saw the distant looming of the land, bearing north-west, and perceived that all round us...lay rocks and dangerous breakers, one bore south-west (a large rock 3 miles) another south-south-west 3 1/2 another south 4 miles and one west 5 miles, that one which bore south-south-west, John Johnson told me he thought it Harbinger Rock, having seen it when with Mr. Black, commander of the Harbinger. At 8 A.M. made sail to the north-east...At noon strong winds at south hauled her off East.
"Before I close this log it may be proper to observe that from the very long run of bad weather we have had and being so often baffled in our attempts to get round the end of the island which is full of danger and moreover have seen all the land that lies between its north-west and west points to its south-west points from which these dangerous rocks and breakers lie about 7 or 8 miles I now determined to stand off to Albatross Island in a straight line for this reef for we could not venture too close unto land it having every appearance of a gale from south or south-east either of which blow in on the shore. This reef I named Lady Nelson Reef from our so narrowly escaping being on shore on it, this however is only to distinguish it from others for I have not the least doubt but it is what Mr. Bass gave me a sketch of, the latitude and longitude so well correspond with his. I fancy also it is what was seen in the Martha schooner in 1799 along with the land, all of which is one island...Thus we took leave of this large and fine island where the benevolent hand of Providence has fixed the chief necessaries of life and the means to procure some of its luxuries. We kept on East expecting it would soon blow a gale and a heavy sea up. I much lament not having as yet had it in my power from the series of unfavourable weather we have had so exactly to comply with the Commander-in-Chief's orders as I could have wished.
"Monday, January 25th. From noon till half-past 1 P.M. we run due east 8 miles, we then saw from masthead Hunter's Islands bearing (the middle of them) south-south-east distant 5 or 6 leagues...Under the lee of Three Hummock Island in smooth water we laid under easy sail off and on all night—found the tides here to run very strong. In the morning I sent boat on shore with the First Mate and 2 hands, by noon they returned having shot 2 ducks and found a spring of water, some small kangaroo were seen but not worth shooting even could they have been got at. The footsteps of a man were seen on shore, perhaps one of the Harrington's Lascars as the foot was measured and found very small. The shores of this island are bold rock and some dangerous reefs lie off it, one of which (a sunken one) we did not escape by 10 yards...Lady Nelson's Reef is east-south-east and west-north-west distance about 30 miles in Latitude 40 degrees 20 minutes 30 seconds south and Longitude by Time-keeper 145 degrees 40 minutes 53 seconds, it has many sandy bights in it where I would not scruple to anchor in south-south-west, south-east and east winds.
"Tuesday, January 26th. At half-past 12 bore away for Elephant Rock. At 5 P.M. the south extreme of Three Hummock Island bore south by east distance 19 or 20 miles...At sundown extremes of Governor King's Island bore south-west to west by north distance 11 or 12 miles. At 8 P.M. shortened sail and threw her head off shore intending to have lain off and on all night, this was done. At 4 A.M. made sail for land and we exactly made Elephant Rock right ahead therefore the distance between Three Hummock Island and Elephant Rock is north 65 west distance 44 miles true by compass north-west by west. We then stood on for the sandy capes or bluffs and by half-past 9 A.M. the largest and perpendicular one bore south by west distant 8 or 9 miles, this I named Cape Farewell. I took a departure from it intending to run to Cape Albany (Otway); the wind from 4 A.M. has blown at east-north-east and from that to north-east with its usual hazy dirty weather, in consequence of which we kept our wind till noon to be certain of clearing the shoals and breakers lying off this end of the island. At noon saw the looming of the western end of the island bearing distant perhaps 12 miles, the direct distance from Mid Hummock of that island to Cape Farewell is north 51 degrees west distance 56 miles true but by compass north-west a little westerly."
CHAPTER 6.
THE DISCOVERY OF PORT PHILLIP.
On leaving King Island, Murray, on January 30th (civil time),* (* In this chapter civil time is given in the author's observations. The time in the logs throughout is according to nautical reckoning, i.e. the day beginning at noon before the civil reckoning.) returned again to Western Port and next day, at 4 A.M. he sent Mr. Bowen with 5 men in the launch to examine the harbour to the westward which is now known as Port Phillip and at the head of which stands the city of Melbourne. On Wednesday the launch returned and the first mate reported that he had found a good channel into the harbour which was "a most noble sheet of water." He also reported that he saw no natives but only their huts. Shortly afterwards Murray himself entered the newly discovered Port in the Lady Nelson.
Murray arrived there on February 14th and anchored at 3.30 P.M. in a sandy cove off a point of the shore which lay distant a quarter of a mile to the south-west. He named a high mountain Arthur's Seat; a cluster of islands where black swans were plentiful Swan Isles; a bold rocky point to the east-south-east Point Paterson and a long sandy point Point Palmer.