488 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



of energetic private enterprise. Tom Thumb was not 

 the sort of vessel one would choose for exploration of 

 an unknown and dangerous coast. Eight feet length 

 and five feet beam provided cramped accommodation 

 at night off a stormy and rocky coast for two men of whom 

 one was six feet tall, though the other luckily was only 

 five feet six. But Tom Thumb would have been good 

 enough for Robinson Crusoe, and it was good enough for 

 Bass and Flinders. In it, in October 1795, they went to 

 Botany Bay and explored the " winding course " of 

 George's River. In January 1796 they went a second 

 cruise in " another boat of nearly the same size," that 

 had been built at Port Jackson. In it they explored the 

 coast South of Botany Bay, entered beautiful Port Hacking, 

 coasted fertile Illawarra, and met brave adventures by 

 sea and land, dear to the heart of Robinson Crusoes. 



The plans of the two adventurers were " romantic," 

 but they now seemed likely also to be useful. Solid 

 and kindly Governor Hunter, striving manfully against 

 fearful odds for the good of his disreputable subjects, 

 felt now that he was justified in granting state aid to those 

 who had shown they could do so much without it. Mid- 

 shipman Flinders, unhappdly, was busy in duties connected 

 with the repair of the Reliance, a ship so rotten that the 

 Captain thought the safe voyage from London proved that 

 he was " intended to be hung in room of being drowned." 

 Bass's But Surgeon Bass was " less confined in his duty," and 



wh^eVoat 1 ^ a d been busy penetrating in all directions. In June 

 3rd Dec. 1796 he had tried to penetrate the Blue Mountains; 

 Fet> 7 i7Q8 5th but "his success," his friend has to admit, "was not 

 commensurate to the perseverance and labour employed ; 

 the mountains were impassable." In August 1797 he 

 had again explored the South coast, and had discovered 

 the seam of coal that is worked to this day. Next month 

 he had walked across unknown country from the Cow- 

 pastures to the South Coast. And now, at the end of 

 1797, he had asked Governor Hunter to allow him " the 

 use of a good boat," and permission to " recruit her with 

 volunteers from the King's ships." To the sober-minded 



