BY JAMES B. WALKER. 123 



heave-to, and cost them heavy losses among the live 

 stock. Then it fell calm, for which, however. Captain 

 Bunker found consolation by catching- three sperm whales. 

 The Albion had a reputation for fast sailing — having made 

 the passage from Spithead to Port Jackson in the then 

 unprecedented time of 108 days — but, baffled by light 

 unfavourable winds, she did not make Storm Bay until 

 the tenth day out. Even then she was two days beating 

 up the river against head winds, so that it was not until 

 Sunday, the 12th September, 180-3, that, passing along 

 the lonely and thickly wooded banks of the Derwent, the 

 Albion, with the tirst Governor of Tasmania on board, 

 came to an anchor in Risdon Cove. Here they found the 

 Lady Nelson already lying at anchor, having arrived five 

 days before, on the 7th September. 



I have searched in vain hitherto in pnnted accounts for 

 the correct date of Bowen's settlement. The dates given 

 vary from June to August, but I think we may henceforth 

 consider it settled, on the authority of official documents, 

 that the birthday of Tasmania was Tuesday, the 7th day 

 of September, 1803. 



Here I must pause. On a future occasion I hope to be 

 able to draw further on the store of material which has 

 been provided by the wise liberality of the Government, 

 and to give some particulars of the history of Bowen s 

 abortive colony at Risdon, and of Collins' settlement at 

 Sullivan's Cove. 



Appendix A. 



Summary of Documents copied by Mr. Bonwick 



FOR THE TaSMANIAN GOVERNMENT. 



British Museum Discovery Papers; viz. — 

 Furneaux, in the Adventure, 1773 ; 

 Grant, in the Ladi/ Nelson, 1800 ; 

 Flinders to Sir J. Banks, 1 802 ; Sealers 

 in Bass' Straits, 1802; Exploration of 

 River Huon, 1804 o9 pages. 



