EARLY LIFE AND VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA 125 



time been proclaimed, and the " Reliance " under Captain Water- 

 house, with the " Supply," under Captain William Kent, made a 

 voyage to the Cape and brought back cattle to stock the colony of 

 New South Wales. The ships returned to Sydney on 26th June 

 and 1 6th May, 1797, respectively. 1 Flinders was one of the officers 

 of the " Reliance." 



While Flinders was either confined to the neighbourhood of 

 Sydney during the overhaul of the " Reliance " and " Supply" or 

 engaged in their voyage to the Cape, BASS started on the memorable 

 voyage which led to the discovery of BASS STRAIT. He set out 

 from Sydney on 3rd December, 1797, in a WHALEBOAT with six 

 men. A month later, they found white men near Wilson's Prom- 

 ontory. These proved to be escaped convicts, marooned by the 

 treachery of some of their companions, who made away with the 

 only boat. On 5th January, 1798, Bass discovered WESTERN PORT, 

 only a few miles short of Port Phillip, and remained there for a 

 fortnight. The port is now a naval base for the Commonwealth 

 fleet. Bass firmly (and correctly) believed that he had discovered 

 a strait separating Tasmania from Australia ; but official admission 

 or recognition of the fact was delayed until the strait had actually 

 been sailed through. 



Flinders had passed as lieutenant while at the Cape in 1797. 

 On his return to Sydney, it was reported that the " Sydney Cove " 

 had been wrecked at the Furneaux Islands (north-east of Tasmania), 

 and the schooner " Francis " and sloop " Eliza " were dispatched 

 from Sydney for the scene of the wreck on 1st February, 1798. 

 Governor Hunter permitted Flinders to embark on the " Francis," 

 " to make such observations serviceable to geography and naviga- 

 tion as circumstances might afford." Unfortunately, the " Eliza " 

 got separated from the " Francis" and was lost with all hands. 

 The " Francis " returned to Sydney on 9th March. The net 

 geographical result of the voyage was the addition to the map of 

 the Kent group of islands, west of Tasmania. 



Bass had returned to Sydney from his whaleboat voyage along 

 600 miles of the coast of New South Wales on 25th February. 

 He and Flinders were eager to " pursue inquiry to the point of 

 proof " regarding the separation of Tasmania from New South 

 Wales, and Flinders desired to circumnavigate Tasmania. Before 

 this object could be attained, however, Flinders, as an officer of the 

 " Reliance" had to make a trip (May to July, 1798) to Norfolk 

 Island. On 7th October, the Governor having put him in command 

 of the sloop " Norfolk" he sailed with a crew of eight men, accom- 

 panied by Bass. They CIRCUMNAVIGATED TASMANIA and returned 

 to Sydney on I2th January, 1799. 



On 8th July, 1799, Flinders sailed for the north in the " Norfolk." 

 He visited Moreton Bay, where he spent fifteen days, and Hervey 



1 Terra Ausiralis, I, civ. 



