[** This is the Isle Willaumez, of D’Entrecasteaux; but it was known to me from the sketch of captain Hayes, and is still to the colonists, under the name of Betsey’s Island.]

Dec. 15, the wind being at north-west, we passed a sloping island (Isle St. Aignan of D’Extrecasteaux), and steered north-eastward, to explore the inlet.  After running three-and-half miles, with soundings from 13 no bottom, to 5 fathoms, we anchored under a small island, which lies S. 75 deg.  W., one mile and a half, from Point Renard, the uppermost station of the French boats.  This small spot received the descriptive name of Isle of Caves, and lies in the passage from North Bay to a large extent of water which appeared to the eastward, and which the French boats did not explore.

From the Isle of Caves we ran six miles, E. S. E. up the new bay, for Smooth Island.  The width of the entrance, from Point Renard to Green Head, is two miles, the soundings are from 6 to 16 fathoms, and there are no dangers.  Smooth Island, behind which we anchored in 4 fathoms, and where I again landed to take bearings, is three quarters of a mile long, and covered with grass and a few small trees.  It had been visited by the natives, as had the Isle of Caves; but from the eggs of gulls found upon both, I judge they do not go often.

Dec. 16, we anchored two miles to the south-east of Smooth Island, in 6 fathoms, near a point of the main where a round hill afforded me a good view of this extensive bay.  The country there is stony and barren, though covered with wood and much frequented by kangaroos.  In the evening, the appearance of a southern gale induced me to shift our berth to the north side of the point; between which, and an islet lying half a mile from it, the depth was 5 to 7 fathoms.

On the 17th, we landed upon the islet, and killed some out of the many gulls by which it is frequented.  A small arm of the bay extending north-eastward, where we hoped to obtain fresh water, was the object of our examination in the afternoon.  There was a little stream falling in at the head, but rocks prevented it from being accessible to boats, or to a raft; and a walk of perhaps a mile to the eastward, afforded nothing but the sight of a stony country, and of a few miserable huts.  Our greyhound started a kangaroo, but it was lost in the wood; and there were no birds to shoot.

Dec. 18, the wind still blowing fresh from the westward, we worked up to Smooth Island; and then stretched over to the south side of the bay.  The soundings were generally 9 fathoms, on mud and sand, to within a mile of the shore; and at half a mile, where the anchor was dropped, the depth was 4 fathoms.

We landed at a steep, but not high point near the sloop, where I took some bearings, and observed the meridian altitude of the moon in an artificial horizon, which gave the latitude 43 deg. 11/2’; Mr. Bass, in the mean time, walked a little distance inland, but saw nothing of particular interest.  Some further bearings were taken next morning, from a head lying to the west; after which the anchor was weighed, and we steered northward along the west side of the bay, with soundings from 8 to 4 fathoms.  In the evening, we had worked back into North Bay, and come to an anchor under the north-east end of Sloping Island.