orning we saw that part of Dirk Hartog's Island which lies in
25 degrees 56 minutes, and when we had reached within four miles of the
shore steered to the northward parallel to the beach, but the haze was
still so great as to render the land very indistinct. We saw enough of it
however to be convinced of its perfect sterility. The coast is lined with
a barrier of rocks on which the sea was breaking high with a roar that
was heard on board although our distance from the shore was at least
three miles.

The warmth of the weather now began rapidly to increase; the thermometer
at noon ranged as high as 79 degrees.

At one o'clock Cape Inscription, the north-westernmost point of Dirk
Hartog's Island, was distinguished and the sea-breeze veered as far as
South-West by West, which was two points more westerly than we had
hitherto had it. At two o'clock the brig passed round the cape and, as
there was an appearance of good shelter in the bay to the eastward of it,
we hauled in and at half-past three o'clock anchored in twelve fathoms
fine gravelly soft sand; the west point of Dirk Hartog's Island (Cape
Inscription) bearing North 82 degrees West, and the low sandy point that
forms its north-east end South 53 degrees West, at a mile and a half from
the shore.

As we hauled round the cape and were passing under the lee of the land
the breeze became so suddenly heated, by its blowing over the arid and
parched surface of the coast, that my seaweed hygrometer, which had been
quite damp since we left Rottnest Island, was in ten minutes so dried as
to be covered with crystals of salt; and in this state it continued
during our stay.

Upon rounding the cape two posts were descried upon its summit, which we
conjectured to be those on which the French had affixed a record of their
visit, as well as the more ancient one of the Dutch navigators, Dirk
Hartog and Vlaming; for they were very conspicuously placed and appeared
to be in good preservation.

We had not anchored five minutes before the vessel was surrounded by
sharks, which at once impressed us with the propriety of Dampier's
nomenclature. One that was caught measured eleven feet in length but the
greater number were not more than three or four feet long. They were very
voracious and scared away large quantities of fish, of which, however,
our people during the evening caught a good supply.

January 21.

The following morning we landed at the Cape and with eager steps ascende