been seen in any part of Terra Australis. About their fire
places were usually scattered the shells of large crabs, the bones of
turtle, and the remains of a parsnip-like root, apparently of fern; and
once the bones of a porpoise were found; besides these, they doubtless
procure fish, and wild ducks were seen in their possession. There are
kangaroos in the woods, and several bustards were seen near Cape Keppel.
The mud banks are frequented by curlews, gulls, and some lesser birds.
Oysters of a small, crumply kind, are tolerably plentiful; they do not
adhere to the rocks, but stick to each other in large masses on the
banks; here are also pearl oysters, but not so abundantly as in Port
Curtis.

The _latitude_ of our anchorage, from the mean of three meridian
altitudes to the north, was 23 deg. 29' 34" south.

_Longitude_ from twenty-four sets of distances of the sun and moon, the
particulars of which are given in Table I. of Appendix No. I. to this
volume, 151 deg. 0' 28"; but from fifty other sets, reduced by the survey
from Broad Sound, the better longitude of the anchorage is 150 deg. 58' 20"
east.

According to the time keepers the longitude would be 150 deg. 57' 43"; and in
an interval of six days, they were found to err no more than 5" of
longitude on the Port-Jackson rates.

From three compasses on the binnacle, lieutenant Flinders observed the
_variation_ 6 deg. 48', when the ship's head was north, and 5 deg. 47' when it
was south-south-east. This last being reduced to the meridian, the mean
of both will be 6 deg. 47' east, nearly the same as in Bustard Bay; but 2 deg.
less than was observed off Gatcombe Head. At the different stations round
Keppel Bay whence bearings were taken, the variation differed from 5 deg. 10'
to 6 deg. 30' east.

Whilst beating off the entrance, I had 7 deg. 52' east variation, from
azimuths with the surveying compass when the head was N. W., and from an
amplitude, with the head N. by W., 6 deg. 54'; the mean reduced to the
meridian. will be for the outside of the bay 6 deg. 16' east.

Captain Cook had 7 deg. 24' near the same situation, from amplitudes and
azimuths observed in 1770, with the Endeavour's head W. N. W.

The rise of _tide_ in the entrance of Keppel Bay seems to vary at the
neaps and springs, from nine to fourteen feet, and high water to take
place _nine hours and a half_ after the moon's passage over and under the
meridian; but the morning's tide fell two or t