ISXYI PROCEEDINGS, NOVEMBER. 



THE FRENCH IX VAX DIEMEN's LAND, 



Mr. J. B. Walker read a paper on " The French in Van Diemen's 

 Laud and tlie first settlement at the Derwent." The paper had been 

 written at tlie request of the Premier (Hon. P. O. Fysh), and was founded 

 principally on documents relatini; to the early iiistory of Tasmania, 

 preserved in the English Record Oflice, and copied by Mr. James 

 Bonwick (the well-known writer on the Tasmanian aborigines), under 

 instructions from the Tasmanian (government. The paper began by a 

 reference to Professor Seeley's statement in his work on " The Kxpausion 

 of England," that the wars of last century between England and France 

 had been a duel for the possession of the new world. The writer pro- 

 ceeded to trace the influence of that rivalry on the colonisation of 

 Australia. At the end of the last century France had lost nearly all 

 her colonial possessions, and England had lost her North American 

 colonies by revolt. This loss was probably one potent moving cause in 

 the aettlement of Australia. When it was found necessary to provide a 

 new method of disposing of the criminal population, English statesmen 

 naturally turned to the new land in the south just made known by 

 Captain Cook. French writers many years before had advocate! the 

 settlement by convicts and foundlings of some land in the South Sea, 

 and England in 17SS carried out the idea l)y the settlement of New 

 South Wales. There had long been a keen rivalry between the two 

 nations in discovery in the iSouth Seas. France did not relinquish her 

 designs on Australia because of the English colony, and the Derwent had 

 always been a favoured spot for her navigators. After Tasman's dis- 

 covery of Tasmania in 1G42, the first visitor to our shores was the 

 Frenchman Marion in 1772, and although Cook and others liad touched at 

 Adventure liay, the French Admiral ikiiuy D'Entrecasteaux in 1792 was 

 the first to discover and explore the channel which bears his name and the 

 magnificent harbour of the Derwent. The expedition remained some 

 weeks in tiic channel, and made surveys indicating an intention 

 to colonise. The French expedition of Baudin was sent out expressly 

 to further explore Tasmania and the coast of Australia, probably with 

 a view of forming a settlement. The French ships spent weeks in the 

 Derwent, and then visited Sydney, where they were received with great 

 hospitality, though France and England were chcn at war, in striking 

 contrast to the French treatment of Captain I'^linders, who less than a 

 year afterwards had his ship seized at Mauritius, and was imprisoned 

 for six years, while his discoveries were claimed by tiie French as having 

 been made by Baiulin's expedition. Tiie settlement of the Derwent in 

 180.3 was made by Covernor King, in consequence of a report which 

 reached him that Baudin had orders to plant a colony at the Derwent. 

 King sent a little vessel after Baudin, to inform him that he would 

 resist by force any attempt on the part of tiu; French to occupy any 

 portion of Tasmania. This vessel — tlio Cumberland, 20 tons — was 

 comnfianded by Captain Bobbins, who examined King's Island, tiien 

 proceeded to I'ort Phillip, made the first survey of that port, and 

 returned to Sydney. Th-j (Jovcrnor then determined to be on the safe 

 ■idc, and anticipate any action by tiie l-Vench, by sending Captain .John 

 Bowen with a small establishment to Kisdon on tiio Derwent to form a 

 aettlement. Bowen sailed from Sydney in .June, 1S0.3, but was driven 

 back by Btrcss of weather. On August .Tl, ISO.'J, he Hailed again in tiie 

 Albion whaler, witli the; Lady Nelson in company carrying the bulk of 

 his people. The Laily Nelson arrive<l at BJHdon on September 7, and 

 Bowen himself in the Aibir n on the 12th of the sami! month. Bowcn's 

 civil cstabliahmcnt consisted of three persons, iiimsclf, a doctor, and a 

 storekeeper ; his military establiHliment of a corporal and seven privates 

 He took 21 male and three female convicts, and four fre« settlers. 

 Altogether 49 persons, of whom \'.i were women and children. They 



