There were no inhabitants on Wilson’s Promontory; but, upon the sandy neck, some were seen near the borders of the inlets.  The few birds were thought to have a sweeter note than those of Port Jackson.

Four small, barren islands lie seven or eight miles to the northeast, from Sealers Cove.  The northernmost of them was visited, and found to be about one mile and a half in circuit, ascending gradually from the shore, to a hill of moderate elevation in the centre.  There was neither tree nor shrub upon it; but the surface was mostly covered with tufts of coarse grass, amongst which the seals had every where made paths and the petrels their burrows.  Mr. Bass was of opinion, that upon these islands, and those lying scattered round the promontory, which are all more or less frequented by seals, a commercial speculation on a small scale might be made with advantage.  The place of shelter for the vessel would be Sealers Cove, on the main land; which, though small, and apparently exposed to east winds, would be found convenient and tolerably secure:  fresh water is there abundant, and a sufficiency of wood at hand to boil down any quantity of blubber likely to be procured.

The observed latitude of the cove was 38 deg. 50’;* and the rise of tide found to be ten or eleven feet, ten hours and a quarter after the moon passed over the meridian.  The flood, after sweeping south-westward along the great eastern beach, strikes off for the Seal Islands and the promontory, and then runs westward, past it, at the rate of two or three miles an hour:  the ebb tide sets to the eastward.  “Whenever it shall be decided,” says Mr. Bass in his journal, “that the opening between this and Van Diemen’s Land is a strait, this rapidity of tide, and the long south-west swell that seems to be continually rolling in upon the coast to the westward, will then be accounted for.”

[* This appears to be from 10’ to 15’ too little:  an error which probably arose from the same cause as others before noticed.]

Feb. 2., Mr. Bass sailed to Corner Inlet; and next day fell in with the five convicts, whom he put across to the long beach.* but was himself unable to proceed until the 9th, in consequence of foul winds.  Corner Inlet is little else than a large flat, the greater part of it being dry at low water.  There is a long shoal on the outside of the entrance, which is to be avoided by keeping close to the shore of the promontory; but when the tide is out the depth, except in holes, no where exceeds 21/2 fathoms.  A vessel drawing twelve or thirteen feet may lie safely under the high land, from which there are some large runs of most excellent water.  The tide rises a foot less here than in Sealers Cove, and flows an hour later; arising, probably, from the flood leaving it in an eddy, by setting past, and not into the inlet.

[* Nothing more had been beard of these five men., so late as 1803.]