21

1798             -tains which run to the southward as far as we could distinguish. The crest
February       tolerably straight, with long sandy beaches, and stony heads at intervals.
Sunday 25     According to the report of the man left at Preservation Island with the Sydney Coves cargo the Swan Isles abound with geese and swans, which come there to lay in the spring; at which time, the ground is all over strewed with their eggs. This report induced me to give them the name by which they are at present distinguished.
    At four in the afternoon, the true bearing of Cape Barren was N10°W distant nine miles; and two sets of distances of the sun west of the moon then gave 148° 50' 19" east; when the longitude of the Cape should be 148° 48' 14"; but the two sets of the sun east of the moon, taken likewise in sight of it on the 11th place it as 147° 57' 40"; the mean is 148° 19' 57" being about 12' east of its situation in captain Furneauxs chart. But even if 28' have the difference of the observations on opposite sides of the moon. be applied to the lunars taken near the land called Point Hicks, as the error of the eye and in the parallelium of the direct shade glasses, they will still be 1° 2' west of captain Cooks longitude. Which of these two navigators are right, I will not pretend to determine. In the sketch, the longitude of each is marked, and by observations noted in the situations they were taken; leaving any person who may visit those places, to follow that authority he may think most deserving of credit.