In the first watch a distant light was conjectured, with some degree of probability, to proceed from the well-known active volcano of the Island of Bourbon.
During our stay at Port Louis, Captain Stanley had complied with a requisition from the Commissariat to take some specie to Hobart Town, consequently his previous intention of proceeding to Sydney, by way of King George Sound, was abandoned.
On May 24th (our noon position being in latitude 28 degrees 1 minute South, and longitude 67 degrees 30 minutes East) we tacked to the South-West, having found the impracticability of making a straight course for Cape Leeuwin without first getting well to the southward, and in due time we reached the latitudes where westerly winds prevail, and were enabled to proceed onward on our course.
TRY FOR DEEP-SEA SOUNDINGS.
On June 14th, when in latitude 40 degrees 45 minutes South, and longitude 123 degrees 23 minutes East, the occurrence of a calm during the forenoon, although accompanied by a considerable swell, induced Captain Stanley to make a third attempt to obtain deep-sea soundings.

He had been much interested in the success of experiments of this kind, in which the grand desideratum has always been to produce POSITIVE PROOF OF HAVING REACHED BOTTOM by bringing up a portion of its substance, hitherto unattempted on account of the great length of time required for the experiment, and the disproportionate strength of the line to the enormous weight employed, should any sudden jerk ensue from the heave of the sea.
Captain Stanley had at length succeeded in contriving a very ingenious apparatus by which, upon striking soundings, the eight 32 pounds shot employed would be immediately detached, leaving no greater weight to be hauled up than the iron framework to which the shot was slung, and a small bell-lead with the usual arming of tallow, to which portions of the bottom would adhere.

The line was similar to that employed on January 12th, as then carefully coiled away in casks, each of which held from 800 to 1000 fathoms, and ran out remarkably well, without any tendency to kink or get foul; but, unfortunately, after 3500 fathoms (or forty yards less than four statute miles) had gone out, the line parted, from some flaw, it is supposed, as a piece of the same bore a far heavier weight when tested subsequently on board.

The whole weight employed was equal to 280 pounds; and the time taken by the line to run out was 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 56 seconds.
COLUMN 1: FATHOM MARK.
COLUMN 2: TIME OF PASSING (IN HOURS MINUTES AND SECONDS).
100 : 0 0 42.
200 : 0 1 49.
300 : 0 3 3.
400 : 0 4 23.
500 : 0 5 57.
600 : 0 7 39.
700 : 0 9 30.
800 : 0 11 22.
900 : 0 13 20.
1000 : 0 15 19.
1100 : 0 17 35.
1200 : 0 19 44.
1300 : 0 21 38.
1400 : 0 24 15.
1500 : 0 26 47.
1600 : 0 29 32.
1700 : 0 32 17.
1800 : 0 35 2.
1900 : 0 38 11.
2000 : 0 41 5.
2100 : 0 44 3.
2200 : 0 47 38.
2300 : 0 50 47.
2400 : 0 53 57.
2500 : 0 57 6.
2600 : 1 0 51.
2700 : 1 6 15.
2800 : 1 12 25.
2900 : 1 20 27.
3000 : 1 26 34.
3100 : 1 32 45.
3200 : 1 39 49.
3300 : 1 45 37.
3400 : 1 52 47.
3500 : 1 59 56.
ARRIVE AT HOBART TOWN.
On June 24th we entered Storm Bay, and next day arrived at Hobart Town.
None of our Australian colonies--I had previously seen them all--reminded me of the mother country so much as Tasmania.

The clearings on the shores of the Derwent looked very pretty, and almost English, particularly the spire of a small church peeping out from among the trees..