BY CLIVE E. LORD. 43 



Later in the day several of the officers went ashore, 

 and although they found a recently deserted "caiiip," 

 they did not succeed in interviewing the natives. A 

 number of parrots were noticed, a variety of small birds, 

 ajid numerous sea fowl — ''particularly a large white bird, 

 "sometimes bigger than a swan, with black tips to its 

 "wings, and an enormousi sized beak" (i^,'. Most of the 

 birds weire very shy, from which fact it was presumed that 

 the natives regularly hunted them. 



Although it was the depth of winter (July), the 

 weather was mild and pleasant, the thermometeir keeping 

 51deg.-56deg. during the period the brig was in the 

 bay. 



On the lOth, having secured a sufficient stock of 

 wood and water, and being ready for sea, "all hands 

 "were sent on shorei to wash their linen and amuse them- 

 "fiielves as they thought proper." On the 11th the brig 

 sailed, with a light breeze from the ISl.iST.W., "out of 

 "Oyster Bay bv a passiage to the southward, opposite to 

 "that by which we oame in." (12) (13) 



In 1792 Admiral Bruny D'Entrecasteaux, in com- 

 mand of the Recherche and Es'perance, anchored in the 

 channel which he then discovered, and which now bears 

 his name. He returned again in the following year, and 

 while anchored near the centre of the Channel, on Feb- 

 ruaiiy 16th he isient B'eaupire, the "engineer geographer," 

 to explore the estuary of the present River Derwent, and 

 also the shore to the Eastward. He was particularly 

 instructed to discover- "whether the island of Maria was 

 "really separated fro-m the land of New Holland ; for 

 "this had not been sufficiently resolved by Marion, or 

 "even by Captain Cook." On tlie return of the boats, 

 Beaupre stated that he had seen the channel which sep- 

 arates the island of Maria from the mainland. His 

 charts clearly show the track of the boats and his "Chan- 

 "nel" would be the low lying land connecting Forestier'si 

 Peninsula., for it must be remembered that Furneaux's 

 error was now bearing fruit, and that the Peninsula was 

 being mistaken for the Maria. Island of Tasman. (i^) 



When Sir John Hayes visited Tasmania in 1793, in 

 the Duke of Clarence and the Duchess, he did not explore 

 the East Coast, his main surveys being in the Channel and 



(11) Pelican. 



(12) From an examination of the chart and the wording of this 

 passage it would appear that the Mercury sailed up the eastern coast 

 of the island and entered the strait between the island and the main- 

 land at its northern end. 



(13) Mortimer, Lieut. G. — Voyage in Brig Mercury, commanded by- 

 John Henry Cox. 



(14) Labillardiere. — Voyage in search of La Perouse. 



