rhaps there is no part of our southern
colonies that more resembles England. The number of gentlemen's seats,
before alluded to, thickly scattered over an undulating country cleared
of all timber, save a few monumental trees, and well cultivated, strongly
suggested thoughts of home.

GEORGE TOWN.

When the weather permitted, the boats were employed in continuing the
survey of Port Dalrymple. Observations were made at the flagstaff in
George Town,* which we found to be in latitude 41 degrees 6 minutes 20
seconds South and longitude 4 degrees 23 minutes 44 seconds West of
Sydney; variation 9 3/4 East. This place is only a straggling village,
situated on the east bank, about three miles and a half from the mouth of
the Tamar, upon a flat, forming the north side of a snug cove at the
western foot of a group of conical hills; on one of them is a signal
station, by means of which, with another intervening, communication is
kept up with Launceston.

(*Footnote. The geological formation in the neighbourhood of this place
will be found in Volume 1.)

CRAGGY ISLAND.

The entire month of July was occupied by the repairs of the ship, and the
surveying operations; when we sailed from the Tamar and examined the
passage at the eastern entrance of the strait, between Craggy Island and
Flinders, which we found perfectly free from danger--a fact of great
importance, as it had, hitherto, been reported full of sunken rocks. The
Beagle passed a mile and a half from the south side of Craggy Island in
25 and 28 fathoms. This passage has a depth of 26 and 27 fathoms, and is
six miles wide, whilst between Wright's Rock and Kent Group the width is
nearly eleven miles. There appears, by the ripplings, to be foul ground
between Craggy Island and Endeavour Reef, and the space intervening has,
accordingly, been marked as one shoal in the chart.

THE BEAGLE ORDERED HOME.

Leaving the eastern entrance of the strait, we ran up to Sydney, for the
supplies that had not arrived from England on our last visit; we now
found them waiting for us, together with orders for the Beagle to return
to England. Fortunately, however, the survey of Bass Strait was in such a
forward state, thanks to Sir John Franklin's kind assistance in lending
the Vansittart, that I could take upon myself the responsibility of
waiting a few months to complete it.* I was, however, compelled by the
brief interval of time allowed me, and the urgent demand that existed for
a corr