In the evening it fell calm, and the tide being favourable, we rowed back for Hamilton's Road; but a fair breeze springing up when abreast of it, instead of anchoring we made all sail to the west-south-west for Van Diemen's Land.
On the 25th at day-light, the Ninth Island bore south, five miles; the wind had then shifted to N. by W., and blew strong, with rainy weather; and at eight o'clock, it was at N. W. by W., and obliged us to tack offshore. This gale cleared away on the 26th, and at noon our situation was in
Latitude 40° 34½' S.
Mount Chappell bore N. E.
Peak of Cape Barren, N. 78° E.
Land taken for Isle Waterhouse, S. 7° E.
We were then steering south-westward again with a fair breeze; but had scarcely passed Stony Head, next morning, when another gale sprung up from the north-west. It was a happy circumstance that we were able to reach our new discovered port, and take refuge at the former secure anchorage near the Shag Rocks; for this gale was more violent and of longer continuance than any of the preceding. This long succession of adverse winds caused us almost to despair of accomplishing the principal object of the voyage; for of the twelve weeks, to which our absence from Port Packson was limited, nearly eight were already expired.
Dec. 2. The gale moderated, and we made an attempt to continue the voyage, but were driven back. On the 3rd, the attempt was repeated; and the wind being light, we anchored at the entrance of the port, to prevent losing by the flood what had been gained by the ebb tide. In the evening a fair wind sprung up; and at length, to our great satisfaction, we were enabled to proceed in the discovery of the strait.
The harbour, which we entered with so much pleasure on Nov. 3, and finally quitted with still more on Dec. 3, was named PORT DALRYMPLE, by His Excellency governor Hunter, as a mark of respect to Alexander Dalrymple, Esq., the late hydrographer to the Admiralty. The following is a summary of the observations taken there, for fixing the position of Low Head, on the east side of the entrance:
Latitude from six meridian altitudes, of which three
were taken in port, and three at sea within sight
of Low Head 41° 3' 30" S.
Longitude from two sets of distances of the sun east,
and two west of the moon, with Troughton's nine
inch sextant No. 251, corrected for the errors of
the lunar and solar tables 146° 43' 45" E.
From two do. do. with a five-inch sextant of Adams 146° 52' 46"
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Mean from sun and moon 146° 48' 15" E.
===============
From one set of a star east, and one west of the moon,
with No. 251 146° 52' 34"
From two ditto, ditto, with the five-inch 146° 56' 50"
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Mean from stars and moon 146° 54' 42"
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Mean of all 146° 51' 28" E.*
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Variation of the theodolite., observed on the shore
of Outer Cove 7 28 east
Do. of the azimuth compass, observed in the same place, 8 30
Do. of the same, taken at anchor off the port, the
sloop's head being N. by E. (magnetic), 7 44
The time of high water in Port Dalrymple, is
one quarter of an hour before
the moon passes over the meridian; and the rise of tide is from six to eight, or it is said to ten, feet. The ebb sets out seven hours; and both ebb and flood run with much rapidity in the narrow parts, but the particular rate was not ascertained.