INTRODUCTORY 17 



say that he found in general, a barren, unpromising country, with 

 very few exceptions ; and were it even better, the want of harbours 

 would render it less valuable." Such was the first official report 

 on that portion of her late Majesty's dominions, which, named 

 after herself, is justly regarded as one of the most valuable and 

 prosperous divisions of her colonial Empire. 



After some months of inaction in Sydney, Bass again had an 

 opportunity of gratifying his passion for exploration, and revisiting 

 the Strait which bears his name. His friend Captain Flinders had 

 been commissioned by Governor Hunter to clear up the doubt 

 respecting the existence of this Strait, and for that purpose had 

 been furnished with the colonial built sloop Norfolk, of twenty-five 

 tons, provisioned for twelve weeks, and manned by eight volunteer 

 seamen from the King's ships. Bass had communicated to Flin- 

 ders all the notes and observations taken on his whale-boat journey, 

 and now gladly accepted the overtures made to him to join the 

 more substantially equipped expedition. The Norfolk sailed from 

 Sydney on the 7th of October, visited Twofold Bay, Kent's group, 

 the Furneaux Islands, and entered the Tamar on the 3rd of Novem- 

 ber, where they remained wind-bound until the 20th. The North- 

 west Cape of Van Diemen's Land, which from its frowning aspect 

 they named Cape Grim, was not passed until the 9th of December, 

 and twelve days later the sloop was at anchor in the Derwent, 

 having satisfactorily demonstrated the accuracy of Bass's original 

 supposition regarding the Strait, in recognition of which his name 

 was formally conferred upon it by Governor Hunter. 



Two years passed away after the return of the Norfolk before 

 the coasts of Victoria were again visited. In December, 1800, the 

 brig Lady Nelson, commanded by Lieut. Grant, E.N., and bound 

 from London to Port Jackson, passed through Bass Strait. 

 Although no landing was effected, her commander sighted and 

 named Capes Northumberland, Bridgewater, Banks, Patten, Ot- 

 way, Liptrap, and the Glennie Islands, besides giving names to 

 other geographical features, which have not all been retained. He 

 failed to observe the entrance to Port Phillip, and in the chart pub- 

 lished with the account of his voyage, the coast line from Cape 

 Otway to Cape Schanck is practically a blank. 

 VOL. i. 2 



