BY CLIVE LORD, F.L.S. 1 ij 



"Plateau), from some similarity in its appearance to that at 

 "the Cape of Good Hope, I have denominated the Table 

 "Mountuin, but I have not altered any English name wherever 

 "I have found one given." 



There is no reason to think for a moment that Collins 

 knew of Bligh's previous designation, or even knew that 

 Hayes in 1793 had named the same mountain "Skiddaw." 

 Nevertheless, the honours, as far as priority go, remain with 

 Bligh. 



To return, however, to the doings of the Providence and 

 Assistant in Adventure Bay, on that unseasonable February 

 day o'f 1792, we find that, in spite of the weather, the work 

 of securing supplies was being pushed on with, but that it 

 was necessary to go three hundred yards farther up the creek 

 in East Cove — which Bligh charts as Providence Rivulet — in 

 order to avoid the brackish water. Among other observations 

 occurring in the narrative of the events of the day it is 

 noted that fires caused by the natives were seen in the dis- 

 tance, and that "our carpenter knocked down an animal to- 

 "day called, by the seamen, a galley wasp." From the de- 

 tailed description which follows, there can be no doubt that 

 this was one of the Blue-tongued Lizards {Tiliqua). There 

 is also an interesting note concerning a Porcupine Anteater 

 {Tachyglossus aculeata var. setosa) which was killed, but, 

 as I have previously (1920, p. 120) dealt in detail with this 

 description, there is jio need for further mention here. 



The bad weather meant more to Bligh than he realised 

 at the time, for had he had fair weather during his stay, he 

 would in every probability have forestalled the discoveries of 

 D'Entrecasteaux. The proof of this is forthcoming by re- 

 ference to the following note: — "I have every day intended to 

 "go round into the Bay of Frederick Henry in the Assistant, 

 "but the weather is so bad that I cannot do it with propriety, 

 "and my time now makes it doubtful if I can accomplish 

 "it." 



On Sunday, the nineteenth, the gale continued from the 

 south-west, with hail and rain, but every endeavour was 

 made to complete the supplies of wood and water, and to get 

 the ships ready for sea. As no signs had been seen of the 

 natives, Bligh allowed two or three men to go on shore on 

 leave each day, and on the Sunday afternoon one of these 

 parties fell in with twenty-two natives at Gully Head. 



Upon the return of this party to the ship the meeting 

 was reported to Bligh, but to judge from his remarks, as 



