Swan River and Rottnest Island had been already carefully examined by the French; but from the latter island to the North-west Cape, with the exception of Shark's Bay, they saw very little of the coast, and have given its outline principally from Van Keulen.* (*Footnote.

Freycinet page 441.) At noon on the 10th our latitude was 34 degrees 16 minutes 14 seconds, and a large bare, sandy patch upon the land, the Tache Blanche remarquable of Captain Baudin, bore North 77 degrees East (magnetic).

At six o'clock in the evening we passed Cape Naturaliste, having experienced a strong current setting North 11 degrees West, at nearly two miles per hour; hence we steered to the northward, but it was dark when we passed near the position assigned to the Recif Naturaliste: after steering on for three hours longer we edged in for the land and at ten o'clock hauled to the wind for the night.
January 11.
The next day at noon we were in latitude 32 degrees 36 minutes 2 seconds, having the land about Cape Peron in sight from the masthead, bearing East by South 1/2 South; but during the day the wind was so light that we had not approached it within four leagues by sunset.
At this time the coast was visible as far as Cape Bouvard between which and Cape Peron it is low and sandy, but the hills appeared to be tolerably well wooded, and of a moderate height.

Buache Island was visible as well as the small rocky islet between it and Cape Peron.

The former is low and sandy, and its outline of hummocky shape; and to the eastward was some distant land trending towards the assigned entrance of Swan River.