44 THE EARLY HISTORY OF MARIA ISLAND, 



the Derwent. He probably only saw Maria Island at the 

 time of his departure for New Guinea. (15) <16). 



Ba?s ?.nd Flinders, in the Norfolk, i^'^) during the 

 historic voyage in which they conclusively proved the 

 existence of Bass Straits, were the next to sight the island. 

 After leaving Stonn Bay on Januai-y 3rd, 1799, they 

 opened up Cape Raoul and Cape Pillar. Flinders states 

 that "These two' high columnar Capes are the extreme 

 "points of the land which Captain Furneaux took to be 

 "Maria's Island." (^8) 



After rounding Tasman's Island, the true Maria Is- 

 land was sighted at 5 p'.m., and they hauled in close to 

 the shore, but the squally wind drove them off. The 

 next morning the island appeared as if divided in two. ^^^) 

 At ten o'clock the wind veered round, and they ta^cked 

 towards the island, but as the day wore on the wind 

 increased, and as it was impossible to get near Maria 

 Island before dark, they bore away to the northward. 



The next explorer tO' visit Tasmania was the French 

 Admiral, Baudin, in command of the (Tcographe and 

 NaturaJiste. After investigating the Channel, they sent 

 out a boat expedition towards the East, in order to 

 discover if they could sail the ships through the strait 

 between Furneauxs "Maria Island " and the mainland. 

 M. Faure, the "engineer geographer" of the expedition, 

 spent eleven days exploring and charting the coasts. He 

 noted the misplacement of Frederick Henry Bay, and that, 

 the "Maria Island" of Furneaux, or the "Isle d'Able 

 Tasman" of D'Entrecasteaux was a peninsula. 



On the 17th of February the ships sailed out of the 

 Channel, and about five in the evening of the 18th, 

 a.nchoired in the strait between the mainland and Maria 

 Island. 



At daybreak next morning the long boat was sent 

 with orders to circumnavigate Maria Island, to make a 

 chart of its coast, and to ascertain if there wag any fi'&sh 



(15) Lee —Commodore Sir John Haye?. 



(16) The following passage re Risdon from Mrs. Lee's book is 

 worth repeating: — "It has often been stated in print that the name 



■originated in Eestdown as beine the place wliere the first British 

 "settlers under Lieutenant Bowen, R.N,, rested after their stormy 

 "voyage in 1803. a legend which has come to be regarded as the 

 "truth. Risdon, however, was the second officer of the Duke of Clar- 

 ' cnce." 



(17) The Norfolk was a small boat of 25 tons, built at Norfollv 

 Island in 17S8. She was built and eauipped by the settlers in order to 

 provide communication with Sydney. When the boat arrived at Port 

 Jackson, however. Governor Hunter commandeered her for use by Bass 

 and Flinders. In 1808 the majority of the Norfolk isbinders were re- 

 moved to Tasmania, hence the names New Norfolk, Norfolk Plains, etc. 



(18) Flinders. — Voyage Terra Australis. Intro, p. cxc. 



(19) A vprv low and narrow sandy neck connects the northern 

 and southern portions of the island. 



