8 NOTES ON CAPTAIN BLK^.HS VISITS TO TASMANIA, 



younjr apple trees, nine vines, six plantain trees, a number of 

 oranfre and lemon seed, cherry stones, plum, peach, and apri- 

 cot stones, pumpkins, also two sorts of Indian corn, as well 

 as apple and pear kernels. The trees in the vicinity were 

 also marked, and Nelson followed the circuit of the bay, 

 planting in such situations as appeared most suitable. 



Unfortunately, the exact positions of the plantations 

 were mauked upon Bli?;h's chart of Adventure Bay which was 

 lost in the mutiny, but from his subseciuent chart of 1792, 

 together with the detailed description in the log of the 

 Providence, certain of the localities can be fixed. Near the 

 watering place, which was at the head of the cove now known 

 as Quiet Corner, Bligh planted potatoes, onions, and cabbage 

 roots. Certain of the fruit trees were planted near East 

 Cove, for in the log of the Providence, under the date of 

 the sixteenth of February, 1792. Bligh records: "It was with 

 "peculiar satisfaction to me to find one of thp apple trees I 

 "planted here in 1788 — only one i-emained, and this, although 

 "alive and healthy, had net made a shoot exceeding 12 or 13 

 "inches." 



The foregoing is of interest, for it shows, as far as re- 

 cords go, that the first apple trees and potatoes were planted 

 in Tasmania in August, 1788, by the botanists — David Nelson 

 and William Brown — of Bligh's expedition. 



On the first of September some natives were seen in the 

 distance, and hopes were entertained that they would come 

 towards the ship. Fires were seen en the low land to the 

 north-west. As the natives did not appear, on the following 

 day Bligh set out in a boat, but was unable to land in the 

 vicinity where the natives had been seen. After waiting for 

 seme time, Bligh records: "We heard their voices like the 

 "cackling cf geese, and twenty persons came out of the 

 "wood, twelve of whom went round to some rocks where the 

 "boat could get nearer to the shore than we then were. 

 "Those who remained behind were women. 



"We apprr ached within twenty yards of them, but there 

 "was no possibility of landing, and I could only throw to the 

 "shore, tied up in pa{)er, the presents which I intended for 

 "them. I showed the different articles as I tied them up, 

 "but they would not untie the paper until I made an appcar- 

 "ancc of leaving them. They then opened the parcels, and, 

 "as they took them out, placed them on their heads. On .see- 

 "ing this, I returned towards them, when they instantly put 

 "everything out of their hands and would not appi-ar to *Bk'i 

 "notice of anything that we had given them 



