The winds continued to blow strong, usually between South and W. S. W.; but the ship did not at any time leak more than five inches an hour.  On the 29th [SUNDAY 29 MAY 1803], when approaching Bass’ Strait, the breeze died away, and after some hours calm sprung up from the northward; next day at noon [MONDAY 30 MAY 1803], our latitude was 40 deg. 25 1/3’, longitude 143 deg. 8’, and we sounded with 98 fathoms, no ground (Atlas, Plate VI).  At two o’clock the south end of King’s Island was in sight; and at 4h 40’, when it bore N. 5 deg. to 35 deg.  E, a small island was seen from the mast head, bearing E. by S., which I at first judged must be Albatross Island; but as no other could be seen more southward, it was probably the Black Pyramid of Hunter’s Isles, discovered in the Norfolk sloop.  I much wished to fix its relative situation to King’s Island; but night coming on, the bearing of S. 5 deg.  W., in which this pyramidal lump was set at ten o’clock with the assistance of a night glass, was the best point of connexion to be obtained.  The southern extremity of King’s Island lies nearly in 40 deg. 7’ south and 143 deg. 53’ east; and by our run from 4h 40’ to ten o’clock, corrected for a tide setting to the south-westward, this lump of land, which I believe to have been the Black Pyramid, will be 29’ or 30’ of longitude more east:  its latitude made in the Norfolk was 40 deg. 32’ south.

The wind blew fresh at north, and the ship could barely lie a course to clear Albatross Island, yet we passed without seeing it, though there was moonlight; so that supposing it was the Black Pyramid we had set at ten o’clock, the tide, which I calculated to turn about that time, must have run strong to the N. E. Our least sounding between King’s Island and Hunter’s Isles was 28 fathoms, on red coral sand, nine or ten miles to the south, as I judge, of Reid’s Rocks; but they were not seen, nor have I any certain knowledge of their position.  They are laid down in the chart partly from the journal of lieutenant Murray, who saw them in going from the Bay of Seals to Three-hummock Island; but principally from a rough sketch of Mr. Bass, then commander of the brig Venus, who appears to have seen King’s Island, Reid’s Rocks, and the Black Pyramid, all at the same time.

It was a great mortification to be thus obliged to pass Hunter’s Isles and the north coast of Van Diemen’s Land, without correcting their positions in longitude from the errors which the want of a time keeper in the Norfolk had made unavoidable; but when I contemplated eighteen of my men below, several of whom were stretched in their hammocks almost without hope, and reflected that the lives of the rest depended upon our speedy arrival in port, every other consideration vanished; and I carried all possible sail, day and night, making such observations only as could be done without causing delay.

TUESDAY 31 MAY 1803