There was little to interest us in our examination of this inlet, especially as the Dutch had probably visited it some two hundred years before; thus destroying the principal charm it would have possessed, namely, that of novelty.  We inferred this from there being an opening laid down in this neighbourhood by them as Van Diemen’s River.  I, in consequence, continued the name, altering river to inlet; though, probably, at times, it may deserve the appellation of a river, as after heavy falls of rain it must contain fresh water.  Our finding the water only brackish near the head favours this supposition.

The habitations of the natives were of a more substantial kind than we should have expected to meet with in these latitudes, being snug oval-shaped huts, thatched with coarse grass.  The extremely low level nature of the country, the reader can imagine, as also how much it surprised us to find that from the boat at high-water our eyes could wander over miles.  Occasionally on the plains, rendered warm from their colour reflecting the powerful beams of the sun, were to be seen whirling clouds of dust, towering upwards until their centrifugal force became exhausted.  The temperature, however, was lower about four in the morning than we had noticed it since leaving Sydney, being only 65 degrees, when easterly or land winds prevailed; those in the afternoon were generally from seaward.

A slight rise, even of ten feet, in the water beyond the tidal change, must overflow a vast portion of such very low country; many evidences of this having taken place were observed.*

(Footnote.  At the entrance of Van Diemen’s Inlet it is high-water on the full and change of the moon at a quarter to seven; but in the upper part the tides are three hours and a quarter later.  The length of both flood and ebb is twelve hours, and the direction of the former stream from the northward, following the eastern shore of the Gulf.)

NATIVE WELL.

The formation of this part of the continent is of very recent date, as we did not observe any rock; and the soil is chiefly alluvial.  The only fresh water found was at a native well, half a mile South-East from the eastern entrance point of the inlet.

In the morning of the 5th, the boats reached the ship.  During our absence a few natives had made their appearance on the beach, attending some fires, it seemed, on a hunting excursion.  Several grampuses were seen at the anchorage, also many dugongs and turtles.

In the evening the Beagle was standing across the Gulf towards Bountiful Islands.  I found that with the winds we had experienced the last few days it would be the most expeditious way of completing our survey of the Gulf to proceed at once to the head of it, as we should then have a fair wind, to examine the coast back to Van Diemen’s Inlet.

I also resolved to ascertain if the supply of water that Flinders found on Sweers Island was still to be obtained; and on our way thither determined on visiting Bountiful Islands, where we arrived accordingly on the morning of the 6th.  The greatest depth we had in crossing the Gulf was 15 fathoms, the nature of the bottom being a fine dark sandy mud.