THE SUCCESSORS OF COOK 487 



who had sailed under Cook in the voyage which brought 

 the bread-fruit from Tahiti to the West Indies. The ships 

 passed through Torres Strait by a passage Northward 

 of that taken by the Endeavour, and Flinders had the chance 

 of observing under a captain, who was as able in seamanship 

 as he was incompetent in politics, the greatest difficulties 

 in the way of navigation, and how to overcome them. 



In 1794 Flinders, back again in the Bellerophon, was To Sydney 

 present at the battle of the 1st of June, and is said to have 

 fired off a lot of guns without waiting orders, and to have 

 explained that " he thought it a fair chance to have a 

 shot at 'em." But " the passion for exploring new coun- 

 tries " grew strong; and in 1795 he gladly sailed on the 

 Reliance with Governor Hunter, the second Governor 

 of New South Wales, to the half-known land of the South. 

 The ship-surgeon was George Bass, also a Lincolnshire 

 man, now aged thirty-two, six feet high, of dark com- 

 plexion, and of " a very penetrating countenance " ; 

 " a man," says Flinders, " whose ardour for discovery was 

 not to be suppressed by any obstacles, nor deterred by 

 danger ; and with this friend a determination was formed 

 of completing the examination of the East coast of New 

 South Wales by all such opportunities as the duty of the 

 ship, and procurable means, could admit." In order to 

 make quite sure that the " means " would not be entirely 

 wanting, the man with the " very penetrating countenance " 

 had put on board " a little boat of eight feet keel and 

 five feet beam," which he named Tom Thumb. He would 

 penetrate at least as far as Tom Thumb could be made to go. 



And in fact it turned out that Tom Thumb was the only Down the 

 " means procurable." Ships were scarce and small at 

 Sydney in 1795, and many uses for them seemed more Thumb. 

 urgent than exploration. The plans of the young fellows 

 were called " romantic " by officials who were wondering 

 how they should get something to eat ; and, " so far from 

 any good being anticipated, even prudence and friendship 

 joined in discouraging if not in opposing them." But 

 the " penetrating Bass," though anxious to get state aid, 

 believed that the best way to get state aid was the way 



