As soon as I thought the men were sufficiently rested we launched the boats, but on rounding the northern extremity of the peninsula met a heavy sea running from the southward and were obliged to take to the oars.  We had not got more than two miles to the southward of Cape Leseuer when I saw so many indications of an approaching gale that I ran in again and beached the boats; and this operation was hardly accomplished ere it blew with terrific violence from the south-south-west.  Both here and at our last night’s encampment we saw numerous signs of natives, and now found several native wells in the sandhills, but had no occasion to use them as we had regular tropical rain for the rest of the day.  The men here brought me the bones of a very large marine animal which they had found at the natives’ fire, but I could not recognise them as belonging to any that I was acquainted with.  At this period, from bad food and being constantly wet with salt water, we were all afflicted with sores of the most painful and annoying character, and these much increased the unpleasantness of our situation.

ANOTHER GALE.

March 28.

This morning the weather looked tolerably fine; I therefore ordered the boats to be launched and, after pulling a few miles to windward along Perron’s Peninsula, we struck across for Dirk Hartog’s Island; our former ill-luck however still attended us, for just as we were making the land another fearful gale from the south-south-west came on, and had we not had the good luck to have got under the lee of the Coin de Mire of the French we must infallibly have been wrecked; as it was we pulled along under this promontory and beached the boats in a little bay at its north-west extremity.  Nothing but absolute necessity could however have induced me to take such a step, for the place was rocky and difficult of access, with a heavy surf breaking on the beach.  The rain fell in torrents during the greater part of the evening, and the men spent the time in searching for oysters and shellfish with which to appease their hunger.  The rain which had fallen during the last two days had a very injurious effect upon some of us, for, our clothes having been lost with the other things which were swept away from the depot during the hurricane of the first of March, we were very insufficiently clad.

DIRK HARTOG’S ISLAND.

March 29.

The weather this morning being very foul I occupied myself in making a survey of a portion of Dirk Hartog’s Island, which is of a very barren nature, though rather better than either Bernier or Dorre Islands, but for many years to come it must be utterly useless.  It looks exactly like a Scottish heath; and I have no doubt whatever that water would be found by digging on it; but as we could have obtained plenty from large holes in the rocks we did not make the attempt.  Whilst I was occupied in this examination of the island the wind shifted suddenly to the north-west and I hurried back to the party in order not to lose so favourable an opportunity.