To the northward of Buache Island a small lump was seen on the horizon, which perhaps might have been Berthollet Island, but it was very indistinct.

The sun set in a dense bank and the moment it disappeared a very copious dew began to fall.
January 12.
The next morning at daylight the land to the southward of Cape Peron was ten miles off, but at half-past nine o'clock we were between Capes Peron and Bouvard, and about five miles from the shore, which from the former extended in a North-East by North direction, still low and sandy.
At noon the latitude was observed to be 32 degrees 30 minutes 42 seconds, but by the land it was only 32 degrees 23 minutes 30 seconds, a difference of 7 minutes 12 seconds.

This error was occasioned by the haze which concealed the true horizon, and caused an appearance of land all round us, on which rocks, sandy beaches, and trees were so plainly formed that the officer of the watch actually reported two islands on the western horizon.

This was the most remarkable instance of mirage that we ever witnessed; the haze had only commenced a few minutes before noon, whilst the observation for the latitude was in the act of being taken; and immediately after I was employed upon the chart for half an hour, puzzling myself in attempting to reconcile the observed latitude with the bearings of the land.

This curious phenomenon was also witnessed by the French in Geographe Bay.