SECOND CRUISE OF THE "BASILISK" 365 



society provided Murray with a small steamer and some young 

 assistants. 1 



The tender " Restless " was at Somerset, with rations for the 

 " Basilisk" which had to remain in this neighbourhood till the 

 beginning of June, when a relieving ship was due. By this time 

 the air was full of rumours concerning the true object of various 

 Russian, French, Italian and American SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITIONS to 

 New Guinea. 



During the stay of the " Basilisk " at Somerset, NAVIGATING 

 LIEUTENANT CONNOR made a trigonometrical survey of the harbour. 

 When the " Basilisk " left, he was left behind, with Mr. Mid- 

 shipman GRANT as his second-in-charge, to survey the northern 

 shores of Torres Strait. 



The " Basilisk " left Somerset on 2Oth March, Moresby having 

 been requested by Lord Normanby to assist Jardine in looking 

 for a better site for the settlement than Somerset. Considerations 

 of safe anchorage and a plentiful water supply led him to recommend 

 HAMMOND ISLAND, after a short visit. 



With the object of seeing that all was right on the pearling 

 stations, the " Basilisk " visited several islands, to find the industry 

 at a standstill, while the Government licences were awaited. 



CORNWALLIS ISLAND was revisited, and the " Basilisk " left 

 for WARRIOR ISLAND on 26th March. She left again for the east 

 coast of New Guinea on 28th March. BRAMBLE CAY and YULE 

 ISLAND were visited and the ROBERT HALL SOUND, New Guinea 

 (146 3' E.), was surveyed, and the eastern limit of New Guinea 

 was for the first time correctly defined. The survey of a portion 

 of the north-east coast of New Guinea was then commenced. 



On 2 ist April, 1873, Moresby took the " Basilisk " through the 

 CHINA STRAIT, round the eastern end of New Guinea. The strait 

 and the islands to the east, viz., HAYTER, BASILISK and MORESBY, 

 were his own discoveries. On the 24th, he TOOK POSSESSION of 

 these islands for Queen Victoria. Shortly afterwards he left the 

 China Strait for SOMERSET, which was reached in ten days. Here 

 CONNOR AND GRANT reported themselves, having spent two 

 laborious months in open boats, and having surveyed 46 miles of 

 the great WARRIOR REEF and 148 miles of the southern coast of 

 NEW GUINEA and ISLANDS, including SAIBAI and CORNWALLIS. 



Once more the " Basilisk " toured the pearling stations, to 

 find the industry still stagnant, work having been suspended 

 pending the arrival of licences, and all the Polynesian labourers 

 sent to their homes. She finally LEFT SOMERSET on 24th 

 May, arriving at BRISBANE on 2ist June, and SYDNEY on 22nd 

 July, 1873. 



1 The Rev. S. Macfarlane and the Rev. A. W. Murray first established a mission at 

 Somerset. In 1871, they established another in Murray Island. Past and Present of 

 Thursday Island and Torres Strait, by the Hon. John Douglas, C.M.G., Government 

 Resident. Thursday Island. Brisbane, 1900. 



