surprise,
that though the principal herd scampered off like sheep, as is usual on
the first approach, yet the males, who possessed a rock to themselves,
where they sat surrounded by their numerous wives and progeny, on his
drawing near them, hobbled up with a menacing roar, and fairly commenced
the attack, while the wives seemed to rest their security upon the
superior courage and address of their lord; for, instead of retreating
into the water in the utmost consternation, they only raised themselves
upon their fore fins, as if ready for a march, keeping their eye upon
him, and watching the movements of his enemy.

The seal is reckoned a stupid animal; but Mr. Bass noticed many signs of
uncommon sagacity in them; and was of opinion that, by much patience and
perseverance, a seal might be trained to fish for man; in which there is
nothing, at first sight, more preposterous than the attempt to make a
hawk his fowler.

The seal appeared to branch off into various species. He did not
recollect to have seen them precisely alike upon any two islands in the
strait. Most of them were of that kind called by the sealers hair seals;
but they differed in the shape of the body, or of the head, the situation
of the fore fins, the colour, and very commonly in the voice, as if each
island spoke a peculiar language.

Having collected as much stock as was necessary, they stood to the
northward, and on the 12th reached Port Jackson.

On delivering the account of this voyage to the governor, he named the
principal discovery, which was the event of it, Bass Strait, as a tribute
due to the correctness of judgment which led Mr. Bass, in his first visit
in the whale boat, to suppose that the south-westerly winds which rolled
in upon the shores of Western Port, could proceed only from their being
exposed to the Southern Indian Ocean.

The most prominent advantage which seemed likely to accrue to the
settlement from this discovery was, the expediting of the passage from
the Cape of Good Hope to Port Jackson; for, although a line drawn from
the Cape to 44 degrees of south latitude, and to the longitude of the
south Cape of Van Diemen's land, would not sensibly differ from one drawn
to the latitude of 40 degrees, to the same longitude; yet it must be
allowed, that a ship will be four degrees nearer to Port Jackson in the
latter situation, than it would be in the former. But there is, perhaps,
a greater advantage to be gained by making a pass