Friday 29 July 1836

Saw the Island of Amsterdam bearing E.N.E. distant four leagues. This is a volcanic island of extreme height and remarkable for its having a boiling fresh water spring so close to the margin of the sea that the sealers who frequent this island boil their fish without taking it from the hook. This was the last land we saw till Wednesday 17th. August when we made Kangaroo Island. It was very indistinct and the weather being thick and squally we again lost sight of it till the following day when at 8 a.m. we saw the whole of the South Side of the island. The weather was very fine so we stood in to within eight miles of the shore along which we were obliged to beat this day and the next – the wind being very light and against us.