The breeze being fresh from the North-North-East, we made rapid progress;
and at three o'clock p.m., rounded Cape Howe, with every prospect of
passing through Bass Strait before the wind should again veer to the
westward. In passing Cape Howe, we observed large fires burning on the
hills, made by the natives for the double purpose of burning off the dry
grass and of hunting the kangaroos, which are thus forced to fly from the
woods, and thereby fall an easy prey to their pursuers.

December 28.

The next day at noon, Kent's Group, in the eastern entrance of Bass
Strait, was seen; but, at one o'clock, the wind shifted suddenly and blew
a gale from South-West, with heavy rain: after beating against it until
the following day, we bore up and ran under the lee of Great Island,
intending to pass round Van Diemen's Land: at five o'clock, we passed
close to the Babel Islands, on which were heaped incredible numbers of
sea-birds of various descriptions, each species huddled together in
flocks separate from the other. On another part of the island many seals
were seen, by the growl of which, and the discordant screams of the
birds, a strange confused noise was made, not ill adapted to the name the
island bears.

December 29.

By the following day, we had made some progress along the eastern side of
Van Diemen's Land, but in the evening, the wind shifted to South-East,
and induced us to try the Strait once more. In passing the low
north-easternmost point of the land, called by the French, Cape
Naturaliste, we had nearly run ashore from the darkness of the night, and