ttler on the eastern
side of Tasmania.

On the 29th we passed down the western shore of King Island, finding the
coast to be low, treacherous and rocky. We discovered some outlying rocks
a mile and half from shore, and about eleven miles south from New Year
Island. The most remarkable circumstance we noticed in this part of our
cruise, was the leafless appearance of the trees on the higher parts of
the island. It seemed as though a hurricane had stripped them of their
verdure. They reminded me strongly of a wintry day in the north.

About eight miles from the extremity of the island we discovered a bay
affording good anchorage in east winds. It was afterwards called
Fitzmaurice Bay. From its neighbourhood a long dark line of black cliffs
stretches southward until within about three miles of the point, when the
ground sinks suddenly, whence vessels are apt to be misled and to fancy
that the island ends there, whilst in reality it stretches out into a low
dangerous rocky point, named after the writer, for about three miles
more.

SEAL BAY.

Rounding this we anchored on the eastern side of it in Seal Bay--a wild
anchorage, the swell constantly rolling in with too much surf to allow of
our commencing a series of tidal observations. This bay, in the mouth of
which lies a small cluster of rocks, is separated from the one on the
opposite side, by a strip of low sandy land, which, as I have said, may
easily be overlooked by vessels coming from the westward. A ship indeed
has been lost from fancying that the sea was clear south of the black
cliffs that skirt the shore down from Fitzmaurice Bay. The Wallaby are
numerous on this part of the island. Mr. Bynoe shot one (Halmaturus
bellidereii) out of whose pouch he took a young one which he kept on
board and tamed. It subsequently became a great pet with us all.

I noticed here a trappean dyke, but the general formation of this end of
King Island exactly corresponded with that about Captain Smith's house,
which shows that it is a continuous ridge of granite. The south-eastern
shore is rather steep, and the ground which rises abruptly over it is
almost denuded of wood.

Leaving Seal Bay--from the south point of which we saw the principal
dangers at this extremity of Bass Strait, Reid's rocks bearing East by
South 1/4 South 12 miles--we coasted round the eastern shore and anchored
off a sandy bay about the centre of the island. The only remarkable
object was a rock, lying one m