t quite new.)

COMPASS HILL.

We at length gained the top of Compass Hill, which we found to be a
slight mound on a platform of coarse sandstone formation, with fragments
of quartz; the sandstone was tinged with red, and appeared to be
crumbling away; a straggling growth of white eucalypti covered the crest
of this height, which rather spoilt the view we had promised ourselves;
however, by climbing several of them, I managed to see all round.

West, six and a half miles, there was a snug cove fronted by a small
island, from whence the coast appeared to take a more northerly
direction. The extremes of a large sheet of water bore North by West and
West by North, which we afterwards found to be connected with the
above-mentioned cove. A succession of heights, similar to the one we were
on, bounded our view between North and North-East. Twenty-one miles, in a
South-East by East direction, were some detached, round hills, apparently
the termination of the high land on which we stood; these appeared to
rise out of a plain of such an extent, in a South-East and easterly
direction, that I conceived it possible it may have extended to the rear
of Collier Bay, which damped the interest we had previously looked
forward to, in the exploration of that part of the coast, as it tended
materially to weaken the probability of finding any large opening there.
In crossing one of the valleys in our descent to the boats, Mr. Bynoe
wounded a large kangaroo; we gave chase; but notwithstanding all our
efforts, and at the expense of many a bruise, stumbling over the rugged
ground, the prize, almost within our grasp, escaped, and, to add to our
misfortune, one of the small compasses was found missing, the strap that
suspended it having given way; from this accident the hill received its
name.

PORT USBORNE.

On our return to the ship, we found Mr. Usborne had discovered good
anchorage in the cove we had seen from the hill, which in commemoration
of his providential recovery was called after him Port Usborne.

March 22.

It was a clear and beautiful morning, and the sun as it rose shed a
glittering stream of light over the placid waters of the bay, now
slightly rippled by an easterly air. All were early and busily engaged in
moving the ship into Port Usborne. On our way we crossed the inner edge
of a bank seen from Compass Hill, in three fathoms: Helpman's south islet
bore at the time east three and a half miles; after crossing this bank,