Such an accumulation of water forcing itself through Bass’ Strait, would naturally lead to the expectation of finding a strong current there, setting to the east; but on the contrary, the set in common cases was found to be rather in the opposite direction, the current appearing to be predominated by the tides, whose superior strength forced it below the surface.  The flood comes from the eastward; and after making high water at Furneaux’s Isles, passes on to Hunter’s and King’s Islands, where it meets another flood from the southward; and the high water then made seems to be nearly at the time that it is low water at Furneaux’s Isles.  Another flood is then coming from the east, and so on; whence a ship going eastward through the Strait, will have more tide meeting than setting after her, and be commonly astern of her reckoning.  This applies more especially to the middle of the strait, and is what I there found with winds blowing across it; but the bight on the north side, between Cape Otway and Wilson’s Promontory, seems to be an exception, and in fact, it lies out of the direct set of the tides.  In running from Port Phillip to the Promontory I was set S. 73 deg.  E., thirty-five miles in the day; but it then blew a gale from the west and south-westward.

Although the eastwardly current be not commonly found at the surface in Bass’ Strait, it is not lost.  Navigators find it running with considerable strength, when passing the strait two or three degrees to the east of Furneaux’s Islands; and it was this current so found, which led admiral Hunter to the first opinion of the existence of an opening between New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land.

Every thing in Bass’ Strait bespeaks the strongest winds to come from the south-west; and there is reason to believe that during nine months of the year, it generally blows from some point in the western quarter.  In January, February, and March, eastern winds with fine weather seem to be not uncommon; but there is no dependence to be had on them at any other season.  At the eastern side of the strait and of Van Diemen’s Land, it is not unusual to meet a north-east or north wind, though it seldom blows strong.  The gales usually come from between south-west and south-east, and most frequently from the latter direction; which renders it hazardous to approach the coast between Cape Howe and Wilson’s Promontory.

Thus, speaking generally of the south coast of Terra Australis, it may be considered that during the six or eight winter months, the winds blow almost constantly from some western point; and that gales of wind at south-west are frequent.  The progress of the gales is usually this:  the barometer falls to 291/2 inches, or lower, and the wind rises from the north-westward with thick weather, and commonly with rain; it veers gradually to the west, increasing in strength, and the weather begins to clear up so soon as it has got to the southward of that point; at south-west the