BY J. MOORE-ROBINSON, F.R.G.S 159 



All present recognised these as the warrants of Elizabeth of 

 England, granting Drake, in terms similar to those used 

 in the case of Richard Grenville, absolute power of life and 

 death over all who sailed under him. 



Thus has a Record — the musty Record of the Spanish 

 pilot — proved the judicial execution of Doughty, and scouted 

 the attainters of England's Sea Hero. Instances like this 

 might be multiplied, but I am sure these two are sufficient 

 to lend insistence to my claim for the completion and pre- 

 servation of Records. 



After this somewhat lengthy exegesis of Records in 

 general, let me state the position relative to the Early 

 Records of the Tasmanian Government. 



Subsequent to the 24th of May, 1824, when Colonel 

 George Arthur assumed the Lieut.-Governorship of Tas- 

 mania, the State Records are reasonably ample and complete, 

 both in MS. and printed forms, and in narrative and in 

 statistical styles. Prior to that period the Records are 

 meagre, non-sequential, and altogether inadequate. Thus 

 we have two prime Epochs with which I shall deal 

 separately: — 



FIRST EPOCH. PRE-ARTHUR. 



This Epoch may be conveniently classified in three 

 subdivisions :■ — 



(a) Discovery, 1642-1803. This period begins with 

 Tasman's discovery of Van Diemen's Land, and includes the. 

 successive discoveries and surveys effected by Marion du" 

 Fresne (1772), Furneaux (1773), Cook (1777), possibly La 

 Perouse (1788), Cox (1789), D'Entrecasteaux (1792-3),. 

 Hayes (1794), Bass and Flinders (1793), and Baudin (1802). 

 So far as Tasmanian ownership is concerned, no MS. exists 

 of the work of these Early Voyagers. All we know of 

 them has been learned from Records belonging to other 

 peoples and nations. Not one stroke of the pen exists in 

 Tasmania from the hands of this galaxy of illustrious Navi- 

 gators. 



(b) Settlement, 1803-4. The three names prominent 

 in this period are those of Lieut. John Bowen, who on Sep- 

 tember 11th, 1803, landed at Risdon to form the first Settle- 

 ment in Tasmania; Lt.-Ccl. David Collins, who on the 21st 

 February,, 1804, founded the present capital of Tasmania ; 

 and Lt.-Col. Wrn. Paterson. The Utter arrived at Port Dal- 

 rymple (River Tamar) on November 4th, 1804, in H.M.S; 



