Flinders
and Bass.
1798.
seemingly well satisfied with what they had seen. We could perceive no arms of any kind amongst them; but I knew these people too well not to be assured that their spears were lying ready, and that it was prudent to keep a good look out upon the woods, to prevent surprise whilst taking the observation.
Oct. 12. We sailed in the afternoon, with a breeze from the eastward; but a return of the wind to south-west, with threatening weather, induced me to bear up again in the evening; and we anchored on the south side of the bay. This part is not so well sheltered as Snug Cove, for the Nautilus was not quite land-locked in 3 fathoms water. The weather became very bad in the night; and being no better on the 13th, the two vessels were completed with wood, and the country further explored; a few more bearings were also added to our materials for laying down a plan of the bay, and thus terminated our examination.
The latitude of Snug Cove on the north-west side of Two-fold Bay, and by much the best anchorage in it, is 37° 4′ south. The longitude, from two sets of distances of the sun west of the moon, deducting 16½′ for the errors of the tables, was 150° 3′ east of Greenwich. The variation of the azimuth compass observed on the beach, was 9° 29′, and of the surveying theodolite 11° 8½′ east. My haste to complete the survey did not allow of much attention being paid to the tides; but it was high water about nine hours after the moon passed over the meridian, and the general rise from six to eight feet.
Two-fold Bay is not, of itself, worthy of particular interest; but as nothing larger than boats can find shelter in any other part of this coast, from Jervis Bay, in latitude 35° 6′, round to Corner Inlet, or to Furneaux's Isles in 40½°, it thereby becomes of importance to whalers, and to other ships passing along the coast.
Besides its latitude, Two-fold Bay may be known by Mount Dromedary, which will be seen, in moderately fine weather, at the distance of fifteen or sixteen leagues to the northward; and also