BY CLIVE E. LORD. 181 



"of a hand, except that the fore claw is longest and curved. 

 "The eyes are remarkably small and just above the beak. 

 "It has no tail, but a rump not unlike that of a pen- 

 "guin, on which are some quills about an inch long, as 

 "strong as and like those of a porcupine — these quills, 

 "or rather prickles, are all over its back amidst a thick 

 "coat of rusty brown hair; but the belly is of a light 

 "greyish colour. The skin is remarkably white.'' 



On the 13th sufficient wood and water had been secured, 

 the ships were ready for sea, but were detain! d on account of 

 the absence of one of the crew of the Assistant. Finally 

 leaving the bay on the 22nd of February, Bligh states that 

 being anxious to know something of "the entrance into 

 "Frederick Henry Bay" he steered three leagues to the 

 north, but was prevented from going further owing to 

 the southerly breeze freshening. He accordingly hauled to 

 the wind and proceeded on his voyage to Tahiti. ll8c * 



In 1791 the French nation became anxious concerning 

 tho fate of La Perouse, who had not 1> n heard of 

 for three years. It was eventually decided t<> Bend out 

 an expedition to see if any trace could be found of the 

 liuiiffiih and Astrolabe. Asa reen'H tie -hips Rechercht and 

 Esperance, under tin command of Admiral Bruny 

 D'Entrecasteaux, left Brest in September, 1791. < 19 > 

 The complement of the former vessel was one hundred 

 and thirteen, and of the Esperatia (commanded by Capt. 

 I lie. n Kermand' e i. one hundred and six ( 20 ) 



After touching at several places, including the Cape 

 of Good Hope, the vessel- arrived off the Coast of 

 Tasmania, (21 ) and on April the twenty-first, 1792, the 

 Mewstone was sighted. It had been the Admiral's in- 

 tention to anchor in Adventure Bay, but owing to aw 

 accident l22 ^ he was confined to his cabin and was obliged 

 to give orders respecting the navigation according to the 

 observations reported to him. Upon nearing the land 

 Pilot Willaumez was directed to take the necessary obser- 

 vations, and on being asked the bearings of the Eddystone 

 Rock he gave it as S. 19 degrees W., though it was 

 actually S. 19 d E. D'Entrecasteaux there- 



fore gave orders to make for the bay on the left, think- 

 ing that this was Adventure Bay. In this manner the 

 Channel which now bears D' Kntn-i asteaux's name was 

 discovered 



-<■) Bliirh's MSS.— The Mitchell Library, Sydney, N.S.W. 



(19) Labillardiere. Voyage in search of La Perouse. (Trans 1800.) 



Intro. 



(20) Of the 219, as many a s 99 had died before the vessels had 

 reached the Isle of France on the return journey. 



(21) Then V.D.L., Or the southern extremity of New Holland. 



(22) During a storm on the 14th of April he had been thrown "against 

 "one of the corners of a barrel organ intended as a present for some 

 "savage chief " 



