We had rainy weather in the night, and the wind shifted back to W. N. W., and blew a fresh gale.  This soon raised a high sea, and reduced us to a close-reefed main sail and jib; nor were we without apprehensions of the shore for the following night, so much did the sloop drive to leeward.  On the 22nd at noon the gale was more moderate, the wind at W. by S., and the weather permitted an observation to be taken for the latitude; it was 40 deg. 13’, and we had land bearing E. N. E. about three leagues distant.  So soon as I had satisfied myself that this could be no other than the hilly land lying five leagues to the northward of the Chappell Isles, we bore away before the sea; and by carrying all sail, secured an anchorage in Hamilton’s Road before dark.

It was not safe to move on the 23rd, and there being a lunar eclipse announced in the ephemeris to take place in the following night, I landed to observe it with the telescope of the sextant.  The times at which the beginning and end happened by the watch, being corrected from altitudes of the stars Rigel and Sirius observed in an artificial horizon, gave 148 deg. 371/2’ for the uncorrected longitude of Preservation Island; which is 37’ more than was deduced from the lunar distances in the Francis.  The penumbra attending the earth’s shadow is usually supposed to render this observation uncertain to two or three minutes of time, or more than half a degree of longitude.

Nov. 24.  The gale had subsided to a moderate breeze, and we tried to beat back to the westward; but finding too much sea, bore away into Armstrong’s Channel to speak the commander of the Nautilus; that, through him, governor Hunter might be informed of our discoveries thus far, and of the delays experienced from the western winds.  I was happy to find captain Bishop proceeding successfully in his sealing business, though slower than he might have done, had the anchorage been nearer to the eastern points.*

[* Nine thousand skins of the first quality, with several tons of oil, were procured by the Nautilus, and Furneaux’s Islands have since been frequented by small vessels from Port Jackson upon the same errand.  Unfortunately, this species of fishery is soon exhausted in any one place; or it would have been the means of raising up an useful body of seamen, and thus proved of advantage, both to the colony and to the mother country.]

In the evening it fell calm, and the tide being favourable, we rowed back for Hamilton’s Road; but a fair breeze springing up when abreast of it, instead of anchoring we made all sail to the west-south-west for Van Diemen’s Land.

On the 25th at day-light, the Ninth Island bore south, five miles; the wind had then shifted to N. by W., and blew strong, with rainy weather; and at eight o’clock, it was at N. W. by W., and obliged us to tack offshore.  This gale cleared away on the 26th, and at noon our situation was in

Latitude 40 deg. 341/2’ S.
Mount Chappell bore N. E.
Peak of Cape Barren, N. 78 deg.  E.
Land taken for Isle Waterhouse, S. 7 deg.  E.