the coast; we found it to lie East 3 degrees South (true) seventeen miles
and a half from Lawrence Island: a second island has a place in Captain
Flinders' chart, but we saw nothing of it. The coast also lies farther
back in proportion to the error of the island's position.

1820. January 2.

At four o'clock p.m. 2nd January we entered Bass Strait by the channel on
the north side of King's Island.

January 12.

After passing through the strait we experienced so much bad weather and
contrary gales of wind that we did not arrive at Port Jackson until the
morning of the 12th, having been absent thirty-five weeks and four days.

The result of our proceedings during this voyage has been the survey of
540 miles of the northern coast, in addition to the 500 that were
previously examined. Besides which we had made a running survey of that
portion of the intertropical part of the east coast that is situated
between the Percy Isles and Torres Strait; a distance of 900 miles; the
detailed survey of which had never before been made, for Captain Cook
merely examined it in a cursory manner as he passed up the coast. The
opportunity, therefore, was not lost of making such observations on our
voyage as enabled me to present to the public a route towards Torres
Strait infinitely preferable on every account to the dangerous navigation
without the reefs, which has hitherto been chiefly used.

As it was not intended that I should make the survey of this extensive
tract of coast I did not feel myself authorized to examine in any very