In September following, His Excellency, Governor Hunter, had the
goodness to give me the _Norfolk_, a colonial sloop of twenty-five tons
with authority to penetrate behind Furneaux's Islands; and should a
strait be found, to pass through it, and return by the south end of Van
Diemen's Land. Twelve weeks were allowed for the performance of this
service, and provisions for that time were put on board; the rest of the
equipment was completed by the friendly care of Captain Waterhouse of
the _Reliance_.
I had the happiness to associate my friend Bass in this new expedition,
and to form an excellent crew of eight volunteers from the King's ships.
THE WEST END OF THE STRAIT
The south-west wind died away in the night; and at six next morning,
Dec. 9, we got under way with a light air at south-east. After rounding
the north-east point of the three-hummock land, our course westward was
pursued along its north side.
A large flock of gannets was observed at daylight, to issue out of the
Great Bight to the southward; and they were followed by such a number of
the sooty petrels as we had never seen equalled.
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