he main. It was with the greatest
astonishment that they recollected the fire places and sea shells which
they had the preceding evening seen upon the island. That the inhabitants
of this part of Van Diemen's land should possess canoes capable of
crossing over four or five miles of open sea, while those of Port
Dalrymple were without any, seemed highly improbable. The island itself
was certainly unequal to the maintenance of any settled inhabitants, and
yet there were unequivocal vestiges of men upon it. Long and frequent
reflection upon facts in themselves so contradictory had never produced
any rational solution of the difficulty. This island took the descriptive
name of Three Hummock Island.

For several hours during the early part of the morning, a vast stream of
sooty petrels issued from the deep bight which had been left unexplored,
and passed the vessel on their way to the westward. There must have been
some millions of birds. Thence they were well assured there was at least
one island in that bight, if not more than one, as they had imagined.

Having passed within a mile of a pointed part of the main, which in
height and starved vegetation very much resembled Three Hummock island,
towards noon they came up with some land, which proved to be a small
island, high and very steep; and a long swell, which had just before made
its first appearance, broke violently upon it, making a furious surf on
all sides. Its summit was whitened over with birds. With some difficulty
a landing was effected at the foot of a chasm filled up with loose
stones; and, after a slight rencontre with some seals that stood above,
they reached the top. The birds they found were albatrosses innumerable.
The spread of their wings was from seven to nine feet. Their colour was
more white than black, and the appearance of their visitors did not
occasion much disturbance among them, even when they approached close to
them. This was the season of their breeding. The females sat upon nests
not more than a foot and a half apart, built of muddy earth, bound with
coarse grass, raised about four inches from the ground, and formed into a
concavity of nearly that depth, with a diameter of five or six inches.
One young bird only was in each nest: it was of the size of a small
pullet, but at that time covered with a beautifully white down. The
shapeless lump at some distance resembled a ball of cotton. Some nests
held an addled egg of a dingy white colour, an