The next morning we steered to the eastward, along the land, and soon after noon passed round Captain Baudin’s Bezout Island; a projecting point within it was named in compliment to my friend Aylmer Bourke Lambert, Esquire; behind which a range of hills extends to the South-South-East for five or six leagues, and then trends to the eastward, toward a group of islands named by the French Forestier’s Archipelago, the principal of which is Depuch Island.  Near this we anchored in five fathoms sandy ground.  Our course from Cape Lambert was parallel with the beach, and although we were not more than from three to five miles from it, yet it was so low that it could not be seen from the deck; and even from the masthead it was but very indistinctly traced; nor indeed is it quite certain that what we did see was really the shore of the mainland.

March 6.

The vessel rode out the night rather uneasily on account of the wind blowing a fresh breeze from the South-East, which freshened up when the sun rose with such strength from the same direction that we were prevented from landing upon Depuch Island.  We passed the group at one mile off; it consists of six islands, all of which, with the exception of Depuch Island, are small and of a low sandy character.  Hence the coast trended to the North-East by East, but it was soon lost to view, for the wind would not permit our making better than a North-East course.  Before noon we passed within a quarter of a mile of a part of the Geographe’s Bank, which was nearly dry; it lies twenty-two miles North-East from Depuch Island.

Upon comparing my chart with Captain Dampier’s description of the Rosemary Islands, there appears to be little doubt but that M. De Freycinet is justified in his conjectures, that the islands, called by them Romarin and Malus, are those seen by that navigator.  My conclusion results from his description of the place he landed at, for he says: 

“We were now on the inner side of the island, on whose outside is the bluff point:  we rode a league from the land, and I presently went on shore, and carried shovels to dig for water, but found none.  There grew here two or three sorts of shrubs, one just like rosemary, and, therefore, I call this Rosemary Island.  It grew here in great plenty, but had no smell...In the sea, we saw some green turtle, a pretty many sharks, and abundance of water-snakes, of several sorts and sizes.  The stones were all of a rusty colour and ponderous."*

(Footnote.  Dampier Octavo 1729 volume 3 page 90.)

The rosemary plants were found by us on Enderby Island, and bore a strong resemblance to the figure of one given by Dampier, which he thus describes:  Conyza Novae Hollandiae angustis rorismarini foliis:  this plant, found at Enderby Island, may naturally be supposed to grow upon the other islands, since they are all similar in character.  Enderby Island he certainly did not visit, but I take Malus Island