Tasman's Head. S. 37° W.
Cape Frederik Henry, S. 71 W.
Quoin Island, distant six miles, N. 28 W.
Low point, distant 1¼ miles, N. 6 E.
Cape Raoul,* distant 3 miles, S. 71 E.
[* This is the cape which, from its appearance, I had called by the descriptive name of Cape Basaltes; not knowing that D'Entrecasteaux, or any other navigator, had previously affixed an appellation. I give it up the more readily, because it is said these columns are not strictly basaltes.]
Cape Pillar opened round Cape Raoul at E. 5° N., and the distance run from one to the other was nine miles. These two high, columnar capes are the extreme points of the land which captain Furneaux took to be Maria's Island. Between them, the shore falls back about four miles, and forms a small bay at the head, where there appeared to be shelter against all winds except those from the southward; and perhaps from those also, for the water seemed to reach behind the inner western point. At five clock we passed Tasman's small, cliffy Island and Cape Pillar, and Maria's Island came in sight at N. 6° E. We then hauled up to keep close in with the shore to the northward; but the wind came in such violent puffs down those steep cliffs, that the necessity of steering further off frustrated my intention: the outer Hippolite Rock bore N. 56° W. three miles, at dusk.
Jan. 4. At daylight, Maria's Island appeared to be divided into two, Schouten's Island was visible, and the principal bearings taken were as follow:
Tasman's small Island, S. 24° W.
A deep bight in the coast, S. 56 W.
South head of Frederik Hendrik's Bay, S. 72 W.
Maria's Island, south part, N. 64° to 43 W.
north part, N. 39 to 19 W.
Schouten's Island, North to N. 5 E.
The wind shifted to north at ten o'clock, and we tacked towards Maria's Island. At noon, the north-east extreme, a cock's-comb-like head, was distant four or five miles; but the islet lying off it, in Mr. Cox's chart, was not visible, nor yet the isthmus which connects the two parts of the island.
Observed latitude, 42° 41½' S.
South head of Frederik Hendrik's Bay, S. 40 W.
Maria's Island, south part, Clouded.
--------------- north part, S. 82° to N. 64 W.
Schouten's Island, dist. 4 leagues, N. 3 W. to 8 E.
We had squally weather in the afternoon, with the wind at north-west; and being unable to get near Maria's Island before the evening, bore away northward, having then a fresh breeze at W. S. W. Schouten's Island was passed within two miles at ten o'clock, and at eleven, a piece of land called Vanderlin's Island by Tasman, but which has since been found to be the southern extremity of a peninsula. We then steered north, to keep in with the coast; but the wind drawing forward in the morning of the 5th, the sloop was drifted off, by noon, to four or five leagues. The land then abreast rose in ranges of irregular, well-wooded hills; and behind them were two peaks and a flat-topped piece of land, seemingly not many leagues from the shore. The southernmost of the two peaks is the most elevated, and appears to be the high round mountain seen by Tasman on Dec 4 and 5, 1642; I have, therefore, called it Tasman's Peak. It is the northernmost part seen by him on this side of Van Diemen's Land, as Mount Heemskerk was on the west coast: the flat-topped mountain is that which colonel Paterson afterwards named Benlomen. To the southward, the land was visible at a great distance; and if Schouten's Island and the cape of the peninsula near it can possibly be seen so far as twenty leagues from the deck, it must have been them. My observation and bearings at this time were as follow:
Latitude observed, 41° 27½' S.
South extreme of the coast, S. 18 W.
Another piece of land, like an island, S. 23 W.
Tasman's Peak, S. 63 W.
Northern extremity of the land, N. 32 W.
It was to me a subject of regret, that the wind did not allow of keeping close in with this east coast, since captain Furneauxs examination was made at too great a distance to be exact; but my limited time of absence being expired, and provisions nearly out, nothing more could be attempted than what might be done in the way to Port Jackson.