1802.
April.
Friday 2.
compared with those of March 24th, showed the time keepers to have erred 2′ 10″ of longitude to the west, in the nine days we had been absent; and they had not, consequently, lost quite so much upon a medium as the Port-Lincoln rates supposed. This small error, which principally affected the Gulph of St. Vincent, has been corrected in the longitudes there specified and in the chart, by an equal proportion.
The kanguroos were found to be less numerous than at the first anchoring place, and they had become shy; so that very few were killed. Those few being brought off, with a boat load of wood, we got under way at daylight next morning,Saturday 3 to prosecute the examination of the coast beyond Cape Jervis; but the time keepers had stopped, from having been neglected to be wound up on the preceding day. We therefore came to an anchor again; and as some time would be required to fix new rates, the ship was moored so soon as the flood tide made. I landed immediately, to commence the necessary observations, and a party was established on shore, abreast of the ship, to cut more wood for the holds. Lieutenant Fowler was sent in the launch to the eastward, with a shooting party and such of the scientific gentlemen as chose to accompany him; and there being skins wanted for the service of the rigging, he was directed to kill some seals.
Sunday 4.On the 4th, I was accompanied by the naturalist in a boat expedition to the head of the large eastern cove of Nepean Bay; intending if possible to ascend a sandy eminence behind it, from which alone there was any hope of obtaining a view into the interior of the island, all the other hills being thickly covered with wood. On approaching the south-west corner of the cove, a small opening was found leading into a considerable piece of water; and by one of its branches we reached within little more than a mile of the desired sandy eminence. After I had observed the latitude 35° 50′ 2″ from an artificial horizon, we got through the wood without much difficulty; and at one o'clock reached the top of the eminence,