“Upon again reaching the ridge, whose moderated temperature required our care to avoid suffering from the sudden transition, we came to the granite, on whose bare surface I found a prostrate specimen of baeckea, remarkable for the regularity of its decussate leaves, which I have designated in my list as Baeckea saxicola.  Continuing to the extremity of the ridge, I was much surprised to find we had already attained the highest point of the range, and to observe another expanse, or extensive cavity, of bare white sand below us, to the South-East, the termination of which we afterwards found to be the Bald Head, of Captain Vancouver.  This part is of remarkable appearance from seaward, having on either side of its bare sandy summit a contrasting brushy vegetation:  from the sea however a very small part only of its extensive surface of sand can be perceived, the greater part being only observable from the commanding hillocks we had with much exertion arrived at.  A calcareous rock (affording evidently a very considerable portion of pure lime) was seen in a decomposing state piercing the sandy surface of all parts of the ridge about Bald Head which, however, is itself a pure granite; the dense low brushy wood in its vicinity is chiefly composed of the delicate baeckea."*

(Footnote.  Cunningham manuscripts.)

In the evening we visited Seal Island, and killed five seals for the sake of their skins, which were serviceable for the rigging; the boat’s crew also found some penguins (Aptenodytes minor) and a nest of iguanas.  The bottle deposited here at our last visit in 1818 was found suspended where it had been left and brought on board, when another memorandum was enclosed in it, containing a notification of our present visit, of the friendly and communicative disposition of the natives, and a copy of the vocabulary of their language.

January 5.

On the 5th in the afternoon on our return to the vessel, after visiting the shore and landing upon the flat rock, which is merely a bare mass of granite, of about thirty yards in diameter, some natives were heard calling to us, and upon our pulling to the part whence the sound came, we found two men and a boy.  After some time they were discovered to be three of our Oyster-Harbour friends, and therefore we made no hesitation of communicating with them, and of taking them on board, where they were regaled upon the flesh of the seals we had killed at the island.

Notwithstanding the friendly disposition of the inhabitants of this sound, I felt it necessary to act very cautiously in our communication with them, in order to avoid any misunderstanding.  And that this might not even be accidentally done, I requested Mr. Cunningham to confine his walks to the vicinity of the vessel, and particularly to avoid any route that would take him towards their encampment.  He was therefore prevented from visiting many parts near which he had promised himself much amusement and information in