[* This goose is described by M. Labillardiere, page 258 of the London translation, as a new species of swan.]

[** Of the birds which frequent Furneaux’s Islands, the most valuable are the goose and black swan; but this last is rarely seen here, even in the freshwater pools, and except to breed, seems never to go on shore.  The goose approaches nearest to the description of the species called bernacle; it feeds upon grass, and seldom takes to the water.  I found this bird in considerable numbers on the smaller isles, but principally upon Preservation Island; its usual weight was from seven to ten pounds, and it formed our best repasts, but had become shy.  Gannets, shags, gulls, and red-bills were occasionally seen; as also crows, hawks, paroquets, and a few smaller birds.  Fish were not plentiful, but some were taken with hook and line from the rocks.]

The latitude, observed upon a point of the main land on the east side of Lucky Bay, from one supplement of the sun’s altitude, was 33 deg. 59’ 45”; but as the supplement of the preceding day gave 39” less than the mean of both observations, I consider the true latitude to be more nearly 34 deg. 0’ 20” S.

The longitude from sixteen sets of distances of the sun east and west of the moon, of which the individual results are given in Table II. of the Appendix to this volume, was 122 deg. 15’ 42”; but from the two best time keepers, in which, from the short period since leaving King George’s Sound, I put most confidence, it will be more correctly 122 deg. 14’ 14” E.

Dip of the south end of the needle, taken on shore upon the granite rock, 66 deg. 4’ 0”

But I am inclined to think it was attracted by the granite; and that, had the needle been considerably elevated, it would not have shown more dip than at King George’s Sound, where it was 64 deg..

The variation deduced from observations taken on shore, morning and evening, with three compasses placed on the same rock, was 2 deg. 35’ west; with Walker’s meridional compass, 4 deg. 55’; and with the surveying theodolite 0 deg. 30’ west.* An amplitude taken on board the ship, with the head east-south-east, gave 7 deg. 25’, which, reduced to what it should be with the head in the meridian, is 4 deg. 26’ west.  The mean, and what I consider to be nearest the true variation in this neighbourhood, will be 3 deg. 6’ west.

[* It is remarkable, that the difference between these three kinds of instruments is directly the reverse here of what it was in King George’s Sound.]

This is what I allowed upon the bearings taken with the theodolite upon the top of the hill behind the bay, and it appeared to be the same upon two small islands, one to the east and the other west, where Mr. Thistle took angles; but at Mondrain Island there seemed to be considerable differences.