128 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



1 9th October, 1800, accompanied by Captain Hamelin, in the 

 " Naturaliste" on a geographical and scientific expedition, and 

 had passports not only from the Government of the First Consul 

 of France but also from the British Government, although the 

 two countries were at war. Early in the voyage, scurvy made 

 dreadful havoc in both ships. The expedition reached (via 

 Timor), in January, 1802, the southern shores of Tasmania, in 

 which island there was then no European settlement, and 

 sojourned there till March. On yth-Sth March, the vessels 

 were separated by a storm near the east end of Bass Strait. The 

 " Naturaliste " spent some time in Western Port, which had 

 already been discovered by Bass. Finally, Captain Hamelin 

 took her to Sydney, with the object of soliciting aid from the 

 Colonial Governor. In the meantime, Baudin had taken the 

 " Geographe " westward through Bass Strait, and he was fortunate 

 enough to meet the " Investigator " in Encounter Bay. Flinders 

 advised and invited him to make for Sydney to refit and victual 

 his ship. Baudin went on to King Island, where he turned back, 

 and arrived at Sydney on 2Oth June, 1802. 



Baudin had explored the coast from Cape Banks to Encounter 

 Bay. From Cape Banks to Port Phillip, the discoverer was 

 Captain Grant, of the " Lady Nelson" who sailed from the Cape 

 of Good Hope eastward through Bass Strait (3rd-i6th Decem- 

 ber, 1800). 



From Cape Otway, Flinders went to King Island, the southern 

 part of which had been discovered in 1799 by Captain John 

 Reid, a sealer, and the northern part by Captain John Black, 

 of the " Harbinger" Leaving King Island on 24th January, 

 1802, Flinders sighted Grant's Cape Schanck on the 26th. 

 Thence, bearing west, to trace the land at the head of the Great 

 Bight, he entered PORT PHILLIP, which at first he took for Bass' 

 Western Port. It did not take him long to satisfy himself that 

 this was a mistake, and his natural conclusion was that in Port 

 Phillip he had himself discovered a bay of no less importance 

 than Western Port ; but the discovery of Port Phillip had been 

 anticipated by Lieutenant John Murray, who succeeded Captain 

 Grant in the command of the " Lady Nelson" Flinders surveyed 

 the bay, and ascended Arthur Seat, where he found himself with 

 Port Phillip on the west and Western Port on the east. 



On 9th May, 1802, Flinders entered Port Jackson, with some- 

 thing to be proud of a clean bill of health and reported him- 

 self to Governor King. In the harbour lay the " Naturaliste " 

 (which had arrived on 24th April), and Flinders was able to 

 inform Hamelin that his lost consort would make for Sydney 

 also. As a matter of fact, Baudin brought the " Geographe " 

 into the port on 2Oth June, with every man on board sick. 



The signing of a treaty of peace (which, unfortunately, proved 



