31 fathoms near the entrance, about six miles south from Point Flinders,
where the tide scarcely ran a knot an hour; the flood-stream set
North-East. With these operations closed our work in Bass Strait, for the
present. We had completed the western entrance from Port Western on the
north shore and Circular Head on the south. The weather had prevented our
doing more, and obtaining as many soundings as we could have wished. It
had been unusually boisterous and unsettled, much more so than the winter
generally is. From all I could learn such a season had not been
experienced in the memory of the oldest inhabitants.

March 1.

Bidding adieu to our hospitable friends, we left Port Phillip, and having
spent a night at Port Western, stood out from it next morning, and passed
over in 12 and 15 fathoms, the patch of discoloured water discovered by
Flinders, two miles south of the remarkable round islet, that lies off
the western extreme of Grant Island. Pursuing our course to the eastward,
we were detained by contrary winds for some time among the islands at the
eastern entrance of the Strait. All these we found to be considerably out
in position, showing the necessity of an accurate survey. We were
exceedingly delighted when on the 5th we were enabled fairly to turn our
back on Bass Strait, that region of storms, which stretched behind us as
we receded like a black mass resting on the horizon. A strong
south-wester soon carried us far away from it in the direction we had
been so long endeavouring to pursue.

At noon on the 8th, we were close in with the land in the neighbourhood
of Jervis Bay. A long line of cliffs fronts the shore; but the highlands
recede as in the neighbourhood of Sydney, leaving a low tract of country
between them and the sea.

PIGEON HOUSE.

To the South-West of this bay, we had an excellent view of that singular
landmark, which Captain Cook, with his usual felicity in the choice of
names, called the Pigeon House. It was just open of the south end of some
tablelands, and resembled a cupola superimposed upon a large dome.

Next day in the forenoon, we again arrived at Sydney; where we remained
from March 10th to May 21st, employing the time in completing our charts,
sending home tracings of them, and preparing for our cruise on the
Northern coast. I was glad to find the return meridian distance between
Port Phillip and Sydney agree with the going one, placing the jetty at
William's Town 6 degrees 19