BY JAMES B. WALKER, 113 



and in four days she »vas ready to sail, llobbiiis received Kincf-s oniers to 

 several sets ot instructions, indicating tno uncertainty into m}2, ik iii-72. 

 whicli tlKi Governor was thrown. His j^eneral instruclions 

 required hi in to proceed without loss of time to Storm 

 Bay i'assage, — " the dominion of which, and all Van 

 Diemen's Land, being," says King, " within the limits 

 of His Majesty's territory and my government," — and 

 to fix on the most eligible places in Frederick Menry 

 Bay and the River Derwent, agreeable to the separate 

 instructions on that head. If, however, Robbins meti>.65-72 

 with southerly or westerly winds, he was to go to King's p-^^- 

 Island and Port Phillip, for the examination and survey 

 of which places he had separate instructions, and after- 

 wards jiroceed to Storm Bay Passage. He was to hoist 

 the English flag whenever on shore, placing a guard at 

 each place, who were to turn up the ground and sow 

 seeds. As the Porpoise was intended to follow with 

 soldiers and settlers immediately on her return from 

 Tahiti, he was to keep the King's colours flying to 

 indicate the intended settlement. Captain Robbins was 

 also charged with a letter from King to the French com- 

 mander, if he should happen to overtake him in Bass' 

 Straits; and he received very precise instructions respecting 

 the action he was to take to assert English rights if the 

 French ventured to infringe them. Having his prepara- 

 tions made and his little vessel ready for sea, King sat 

 down to report to Lord Hobart the position of affairs. 

 He tells the Secretary for War* that, on liearing Colonel 

 Paterson's report, he had lost no time in expediting the 

 Cumberland, armed colonial schooner ; that she was on 

 the point of sailing, and that, from the arrangements he 

 had made. His Majesty's claim to the threatened part of 

 this territory could not be disputed ; for, whntever might 

 be in contemplation, it could not be performed by Baudin 

 in his present condition ; it was only necessary to guard 

 against any action of the French Government which 

 Baudin might have recommended. It was his intention, 

 therefore, when the Porpoise arrived from Tahiti, to 

 despatch her with a small establishment to the most 

 eligible spot at Storm Bay Passage, and also with one for 

 Port Phillip or King's Island. 



*Tlie Secretnry for ^^'ttr was ako at thut time 3Iinister ior the 

 Colouies. 



