16 NOTES ON CAPTAIN BLIGH S VISITS TO TASMANIA, 



written in the 10°:, he does not place much reliance upon the 

 detailed observations made on this occasion by the members 

 of his crew. 



The following morning preparations were made to de- 

 part from Adventure Bay. In the morning Bligh made an 

 excursion in search of the natives,- but found that they had 

 left the locality. Upon his return to the ships he was ready 

 to sail, but found that one of the crew of the Assistant 

 was missing, and a search was therefore commenced. Success 

 did not reward the efforts of the search parties until the 

 following day, and so it was not until Tuesday, the twenty- 

 first, that the ships sailed. Owing to calms they were 'unable 

 to proceed far, and again anchored, the bearings being Cape 

 Frederick Henry N. 24deg. E., Penguin Island E. one mile 

 and Nelson Hill S.E. Depth fifteen fathoms. 



Bligh's log records that "As a last service I could offer 

 "to this country, I sent on shore by Lieut. Bond a cock and 

 "two hens, to be let loose on the high grounds within Penguin 

 "Island. Two goats that were sent on the island to graze 

 "could not be found, and were left behind, but, unfortunately, 

 "neither of them was a male, nor have we one on either of the 

 "ships, so no benefit can be derived from these animals." 



On Wednesday the ships sailed towards the north, as 

 Bligh was anxious to examine the coast, but, owing to th'i 

 wind freshening from the south, he d^d not proceed more 

 than about five miles above Cape Frederick Henry. Appar- 

 ently it was with regret that the proposed exploration had 

 to be abandoned, for Bligh states that "I did not feel myself 

 "justified to examine this place, from my beinp: so late in 

 "the season for Otaheite. I therefore reluctantly gave it 

 "up." 



By noon the wind had increased considerably, and the 

 ships had some difficulty in working out of Storm Bay. The 

 Assistcnit met with a slight mishap, and the ships put back 

 to Adventure Bay, in order to repair the damage. This work 

 took .some time, and it was the twenty-fourth of February 

 before the ships finally departed from Tasmania — or, as it 

 was then known, Van Diemen's Land. 



In his remarks concerning his stay at Adventure Bay, 

 Bligh stiites that this, "my third visit to this country, has 

 "been attended with scarcely any new occurrence. I had 

 "hopes my endeavours to serve it in my last voyage might 

 "have been productive of some good, but of all the articles I 



