SAIL FOR PORT DALRYMPLE.

From a small flattened sugarloaf, forming the summit of Cape Wellington, I got an angle to the Crocodile Rock,* and with others from the south-west end of the Promontory, and from the ship on passing, I determined the position of this danger most satisfactorily.

(Footnote.  This rock, in latitude 39 degrees 21 minutes 30 seconds South, and longitude 4 degrees 41 minutes 45 seconds West of Sydney, lies in a line midway between the western extremities of Curtis and Rodondo Islands, nearly nine miles from each.  It is a smooth round-topped granite boulder, just protruding above the surface; and in fine weather the sea runs over it without breaking.  The depth being 43 fathoms close to it, if the waters of the Strait were drawn off the shape of it would be that of a column nearly 260 feet high.)

As we had not, as I expected, met the Vansittart, I was anxious to learn something of her, and crossing over to the south side of the Strait, for the purpose, entered Port Dalrymple, where I found that Mr. Forsyth and his party had preceded our arrival by a day or two.  The Vansittart’s employment had been the examination of the north-east extreme of Tasmania, some portions of which were found to be nine miles out in latitude; the greater part was fronted with kelp and rocky patches.  The work, also, included a portion of Banks’ Strait, and the southern part of the western side of Flinders Island, among the islets fronting which were discovered several good anchorages:  the best in westerly winds being under Goose or Western Chappell Island, where a lighthouse was in course of construction.

YORK TOWN.

His Excellency, Sir John Franklin, requesting that I would send the Vansittart round to Macquarie Harbour, on the west coast, after a party of runaway convicts, we were for a time deprived of her services.  As the rise of the tide in the Tamar was sufficient for laying the ship ashore, I took the opportunity of doing so on the west bank, just above Garden Island, to examine her bottom, and found it so defective that 130 sheets of copper were required to make good the damage; in some places the two-inch sheathing was completely destroyed.  The original settlement, York Town, was at the head of a shoal bight just above us; I found it almost quite in ruins, though there were one or two of the original settlers there; the chief part of the inhabitants were a lawless set, who were said to live, chiefly, by plunder.

LAUNCESTON.

Whilst the ship underwent these repairs, the triangulation was extended to Launceston,* at the head of the Tamar, thirty miles from the sea.  Large vessels are prevented from approaching close to the town by a bar.  The greatest difficulty found in navigating the river is Whirlpool Reach; near the middle of this lies a rock, an attempt to remove which, by blasting, was made; the top was blown off, so that now vessels are liable to be carried upon it, whereas, before, when it broke the surface, such was not the case.