[* Future visitants to these islands have seen the Indians passing over in bodies, by swimming, similar to those whom Dampier saw on the north-west coast of New Holland.  Why the natives of Port Dalrymple should not have had recourse to the same expedient, where the distance to be traversed is so much less, seems incomprehensible.]

The coast on the west side of the channel lies nearly south, and rises in height as it advances towards the cliffy head, set on the 6th p.m.  The north end of this land is a sloping, rocky point; and the first projection which opened round it, was at S. 32 deg.  W., five or six miles.  Beyond this there was nothing like main land to be seen; indeed, this western land itself had very little the appearance of being such, either in its form, or in its poor, starved vegetation.  So soon as we had passed the north sloping point, a long swell was perceived to come from the south-west, such as we had not been accustomed to for some time.  It broke heavily upon a small reef, lying a mile and a half from the point, and upon all the western shores; but, although it was likely to prove troublesome, and perhaps dangerous, Mr. Bass and myself hailed it with joy and mutual congratulation, as announcing the completion of our long-wished-for discovery of a passage into the Southern Indian Ocean.

We had a fine breeze at east; and our course was directed for a small, rocky island which lies W. 1/2 N. 6 miles from the north point of the barren land.  This island appeared to be almost white with birds; and so much excited our curiosity and hope of procuring a supply of food, that Mr. Bass went on shore in the boat whilst I stood off and on, waiting his return.  No land could be seen to the northward, and the furthest clearly distinguishable in the opposite direction was a steep island at the distance of four leagues.  The observations taken at noon were,

Latitude, 40 deg. 231/2’ S.
The bird island, distant two miles, S. 16 to 64 E.
Three-hummock Island, the sugar loaf, S. 64 E.
Steep-head Island S. 9 E.

Mr. Bass returned at half past two, with a boat load of seals and albatrosses.  He had been obliged to fight his way up the cliffs of the island with the seals, and when arrived at the top, to make a road with his clubs amongst the albatrosses.  These birds were sitting upon their nests, and almost covered the surface of the ground, nor did they any otherwise derange themselves for the new visitors, than to peck at their legs as they passed by.  This species of albatross is white on the neck and breast, partly brown on the back and wings, and its size is less than many others met with at sea, particularly in the high southern latitudes.  The seals were of the usual size, and bore a reddish fur, much inferior in quality to that of the seals at Furneaux’s Islands.

Albatross Island, for so it was named, is near two miles in length, and sufficiently high to be seen five or six leagues from a ship’s deck:  its shores are mostly steep cliffs.  The latitude is 40 deg. 25’, and longitude made by the running survey, 2 deg. 7’ west of Port Dalrymple; but it afterwards appeared from the Investigator’s time keepers, to lie in 144 deg. 41’ east of Greenwich.