[* The first settlement was made in Risdon Cove, in 1803, by captain John Bowen of the navy, who was sent from Port Jackson for that purpose, by his Excellency governor King; but on the arrival of colonel Collins in 1804, it was removed to Sullivan Cove.]

Dec. 24, the wind being adverse to proceeding upward, an extensive set of angles was taken from the top of Mount Direction; and next day, I carried the survey up the river, whilst Mr. Bass ascended the great Mount Table, on the western side.  At the northern foot of this mount lie King George’s Plains, a name given by Mr. Hayes to about three hundred acres of pasture land; and in the front of the plains is his Prince of Wales’ Bay, a small shallow cove.  Such names as these led us, at first, into some errors with respect to the importance of the places sought; but after the above examples, we were no longer deceived by them.

In the afternoon of the 25th, we got the sloop, with much difficulty, five or six miles further up the river, to an inlet which I called Herdsman’s Cove, from the pastoral appearance of the surrounding country.  Two streams fall into it; and up the principal one, in the north-east corner, I went two miles with the boat.  The water was there found to be fresh, and the depth sufficient to allow of its being reached by the sloop; but the banks being steep and channel narrow, I was deterred from watering in this place, by the fear of detention from foul winds.

The width of the Derwent abreast of Herdsman’s Cove is half a mile; but except a very narrow channel close to the eastern shore, it is too shallow even for boats.  The intention of proceeding further with the sloop was therefore abandoned; but so soon as the rainy, blowing weather permitted, which was not until the 28th, I accompanied Mr. Bass in a boat excursion up the river.  Three miles above Herdsman’s Cove the banks open out to a mile in width; the river, from running north-westward, turns to the south-west; and the deep channel makes a short cut across to the convex bank, leaving the mud to collect in the opposite elbow.  A great deal of long, aquatic grass growing upon these mud flats, seemed to have attracted the black swans, for the number collected there was not estimated at less than five hundred.

The width of the Derwent is contracted in the south-west reach to little more than a quarter of a mile, and we had not rowed far up it before the water became perfectly fresh.  The land on both sides rises to hills of moderate elevation, and the rather steep acclivities being well clothed with verdure, they had an agreeable appearance.  Our attention was suddenly called from contemplating the country, by the sound of a human voice coming from the hills.  There were three people; and as they would not comply with our signs to come down, we landed and went up to them, taking with us a black swan.  Two women ran off, but a man, who had two or three spears in