THE SUCCESSORS OF COOK 495 



Flinders arrived at Sydney on the 9th of March 1798. Flinders and 

 Bass had arrived a fortnight before. The friends exchanged 

 notes, agreed that a Strait existed, and determined Diemen's 

 to sail through it. Flinders had first to make a trip to o ^ ' 7 8 

 Norfolk Island. But, in September 1798, he was free, to nth Jan. 

 and he had his desire. Governor Hunter gave him the I799 

 use for twelve weeks of the Norfolk, a sloop of twenty-five 

 tons, which had been built in Norfolk Island of the famous 

 pines. She was a bad boat in all respects, but she could 

 float, and that sufficed. Sailing in her, Flinders was to 

 prove that there was a Strait by sailing through it ; and 

 then to prove that Van Diemen's Land was an island 

 by sailing round it. His special business would be to 

 make observations serviceable to geography and navigation. 

 " My friend Bass " was to accompany him, with special 

 duty to make observations on the lands that would 

 be visited. The crew were eight volunteers from the 

 King's ships. Twelve weeks were allowed, and twelve 

 weeks' provisions were put on board. 



Flinders sailed from Sydney on the 7th of October 

 1798, and from Furneaux's Islands on the ist of November. 1 

 He made for the North coast of Van Diemen's Land, 

 and on the 3rd of November he observed an inlet with 

 shores " covered with grass and wood to the water's edge," 

 a remarkable contrast to " the rocky, sterile banks observed 

 in sailing up Port Jackson." Entering, he discovered a 

 harbour which he named Port Dalrymple, and it proved Port 

 to be " an excellent place of refreshment." Into it flowed Dalr y m P le - 

 a beautiful river, x whose shores "presented an appearance 

 of fertility that astonished an eye used to those of the 

 rocky harbours of New South Wales." Here they spent 

 sixteen happy days, Flinders surveying harbour and river, 

 while Bass tramped the country with his dogs. He was 

 especially impressed by sight of enormous flocks of black 

 swans he once counted three hundred of them swimming 

 within a square quarter-mile. He heard the dying song 



1 Flinders' Journal is printed in Historical Records of N.S.W., vol. iii. 

 p. 769. He also described the voyage in Terra Australis, vol. i. pp. 

 cxxxviii. to cxciii. Bass's Journal is printed in Collins, vol. ii. pp. 143 

 to 194. 



