When Mr.Hunter parted from Mr.Roe the natives remained to watch the latter gentleman; and no sooner had he discharged his gun, which they found was of no use until it was reloaded, than they commenced their attack; and from the known dexterity of the natives of this country in throwing the spear it was not a little surprising that they missed him so repeatedly.
Before we embarked for the night I walked with Mr.Roe to the place where he was attacked, in order to look for the spears that had been thrown at him and for the cartridges he had lost; but as neither were found, we were revengeful enough to hope that the natives would burn their fingers with the powder, an event not at all unlikely to occur, from their ignorance of the dangerous effect of placing the cartridges near the fire, which they would be sure to do.
During our visit we were fortunate in having very fine weather; and although it was very hazy we did not experience that excessive heat which, from the advanced state of the season, had been expected.

The thermometer ranged between 73 and 83 degrees; but the regularity and strength of the sea-breezes tended materially to keep the air cool and pleasant.
August 25.
On the 25th the gentlemen visited Sims' Island, where they found a considerable quantity of fresh water in holes that had apparently been dug for the purpose by the Malays.

Among the insects which they brought back with them was a very fine species of cimex; it was found in great numbers upon the foliage of Hibiscus tiliaceus.
In the evening we left the bay.
August 26.
And the next morning passed to the northward of New Year's Island in order to avoid the calm weather which was experienced at the same season last year.
Off the entrance of Van Diemen's Gulf (Dundas Strait) we passed through large quantities of sea sawdust, some of which was put into a bottle; and when the process of putrefaction had taken place the substance sunk to the bottom and coloured the water with a crimson tinge.
1820.

September 3.
After passing the meridian of Cape Van Diemen our course was directed towards Captain Baudin's Banc des Holothuries near Cape Bougainville; but being impeded by calms and light winds did not reach it until the 3rd of September, when we passed between its south-east extremity and Troughton Island.

Before dark we passed over the north extremity of the long reef to the westward of Cape Bougainville.
September 5.
The following day at noon we were near Condillac Island, after which a sea-breeze from the westward enabled us to pass Cape Voltaire, at which point our last year's survey terminated.