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NOTES ON CHARTS OF THE COAST OF TASMANIA, 

 OBTAINED FROM THE HYDROGRAPHICAL 

 DEPARTMENT, PARIS, AND COPIED BY PER- 

 MISSION OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT. 

 By a. MiULT. 



(Charts I, II, III, IV.) 



More than a year ago Mr. McClymont spoke to me of tlie 

 charts of which copies are attached to this paper. He 

 explained at the last meeting of the Royal Society the 

 manner in which he had become acquainted with their 

 existence. I am sorry that it has not fallen to his lot to 

 formally present them to you, for the Society is really 

 indebted to him for their possession. Furthermore, in 

 making the presentation he would have been much more able 

 to accompany the gift with an explanation of the character 

 and history of the charts. Another gentleman to whom 

 thanks are due is my friend Monsieur Adelj^he Patricot, of 

 St. James's, Paris, who, after some little difficulty, overcame 

 the prejudice that the French authorities have to allowing 

 plans and maps to be copied, and then insisted on taking 

 upon himself the cost of having fac-simile tracings made. 

 Acknowledgments are also due to the Hon. E. N. C. Braddon, 

 who, when Minister of Lands and Works, authorised the 

 reproduction of the charts at the Government Photo- 

 lithographic Establishment. 



Charts of Marion's Expedition, 1772. 



The two charts that are respectively called (1), Cote des Terres 

 de Diemen parcourues en Mars 1772 par la flute du Boy le 

 Mascarin, and (2), Terres de Biemen faisant partie de la Nouvelle 

 Hollande la plus grande Isle conniie leve du hord du Vau le 

 Marquis de Castries en faisant route le long de la cote. Par 

 Mr. du Clesmeur, are particularly interesting. It will be 

 remembered that the first visitors to land in Tasmania after 

 Tasman's time were the French in these vessels. The 

 expedition carried out in them was undertaken at the cost 

 of Captain Marion du Fresne, whose grade in the French 

 Navy was " Captain of fire-ship." The authorities of 

 Mauritius allowed him to charter two of the Government 

 vessels in the Colonial Service, the storeship Le Mascarin, 

 the tonnage of which is not given, and the Marquis de 

 Castries, apparently a smaller vessel, and to man them at his 

 own pleasure. He himself took command on board the 



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