At noon I landed to take an observation of the sun, which gave 38 deg. 7’ 6” for the latitude; my position being nearly at the northern extremity of Indented Head.  Some bearings were taken from the brow of a hill a little way back; and after a dinner of which the natives partook, we left them on friendly terms to proceed westward in our examination.  The water became very shallow abreast of a sandy point, whence the shore trends nearly south-west; and there being no appearance of an opening to the sea this way, I steered across the western arm, as well to ascertain its depth as with the intention of ascending the hills lying behind the northern shore.  Two of the peaks upon these hills had been set from the ship’s deck at sunset of the 25th, at the distance of thirty-seven miles; and as their elevation must consequently be a thousand feet, or more, I expected to obtain from thence such a view of the upper parts of the port as would render the coasting round it unnecessary.

The width of the western arm was found to be six miles; and the soundings across augmented regularly to 6 fathoms in mid channel, and then decreased in the same way; but there was less than 3 fathoms at two miles from the northern shore.  That side is indeed very low and marshy, with mud banks lying along it; and we had difficulty in finding a dry place to pitch the tent, and still more to procure wood wherewith to cook the ducks I had shot upon the banks.

SATURDAY 1 MAY 1802

At day dawn I set off with three of the boat’s crew for the highest part of the back hills called Station Peak.  Our way was over a low plain, where the water appeared frequently to lodge; it was covered with small-bladed grass, but almost destitute of wood, and the soil was clayey and shallow.  One or two miles before arriving at the feet of the hills we entered a wood where an emu and a kangaroo were seen at a distance; and the top of the peak was reached at ten o’clock.  My position was then 21’ of latitude from Point Nepean, in the direction of N. 28 deg. 30’ W., and I saw the water of the port as far as N. 75 deg.  E., at the distance of seven or eight leagues; so that the whole extent of the port, north and south, is at least thirty miles.  The extremity of the western arm bore S. 15 deg. 45’ W., which makes the extent, east and west, to be thirty-six miles; but there was no communication with the sea on that side, nor did the western arm appear to be navigable beyond seven miles above where I had crossed it.  Towards the interior there was a mountain bearing N. 11 deg.  E., eleven leagues distant; and so far the country was low, grassy and very slightly covered with wood, presenting great facility to a traveller of penetrating inland.

I left the ship’s name on a scroll of paper, deposited in a small pile of stones upon the top of the peak; and at three in the afternoon reached the tent, much fatigued, having walked more than twenty miles without finding a drop of water.  Mr. Lacy, the midshipman of the boat, had observed the latitude at the tent from an artificial horizon to be 38 deg. 2’ 22”; and Station Peak bore from thence N. 47 deg.  W.