The land is, for the most part, of a good height, diversified with hills and valleys, and every where of a greenish hue.  It is well wooded; and, if one may judge from appearances, and from what we met with in Adventure Bay, is not ill supplied with water.  We found plenty of it in three or four places in this bay.  The best, or what is most convenient for ships that touch here, is a rivulet, which is one of several that fall into a pond, that lies behind the beach at the head of the bay.  It there mixes with the sea-water, so that it must be taken up above this pond, which may be done without any great trouble.  Fire-wood is to be got, with great ease, in several places.

The only wind to which this bay is exposed, is the N.E.  But as this wind blows from Maria’s Islands, it can bring no very great sea along with it; and therefore, upon the whole, this may be accounted a very safe road.  The bottom is clean, good holding ground; and the depth of water from twelve to five and four fathoms.

Captain Furneaux’s sketch of Van Diemen’s Land, published with the narrative of my last voyage, appears to me to be without any material error, except with regard to Maria’s Islands, which have a different situation from what is there represented.[135] The longitude was determined by a great number of lunar observations, which we had before we made the land, while we were in sight of it, and after we had left it; and reduced to Adventure Bay, and the several principal points, by the time-keeper.  The following table will exhibit both the longitude and latitude at one view: 

Latitude South.    Longitude East: 
Adventure Bay,              43 deg.  21’  20”      147 deg.  29’  0”
Tasman’s Head,              43   33    0       147   28   0
South Cape,                 43   42    0       146   56   0
South-west Cape,            43   37    0       146    7   0
Swilly Isle,                43   55    0       147    6   0

Adventure          {  Variation of the compass 5 deg. 15’ E.
Bay,         {  Dip of the south end of the needle 70 deg. 15 1/2’.

We had high-water on the 29th, being two days before the last quarter of the moon, at nine in the morning.  The perpendicular rise then was eighteen inches, and there was no appearance of its ever having exceeded two feet and a half.  These are all the memorials useful to navigation, which my short stay has enabled me to preserve, with respect to Van Diemen’s Land.

[Footnote 135:  But Captain Flinders has pointed out some other mistakes, especially as to the Storm and Frederik Hendrik’s Bays of Tasman, in which, says he, “He has been followed by all the succeeding navigators, of the same nation, which has created not a little confusion in the geography of this part of the world.”  Let us prevent the perpetuity of errors, by quoting another passage from the same most accurate and skilful navigator.  “The bay supposed to have been Storm Bay, has no name in