BY JAMES BACKHOUSE WALKER. 157 



Van Diemen's Land was joined to that of New Holland. 

 The Adeenture sailed northwards till land was lost sight 

 of a little to the north of the Furneaux Group, but 

 continuing a northerly course Furneaux saw, or fancied 

 he saw, land again in about lat. 39". Here the soundings 

 indicated the presence of shoals, and thinking the naviga- 

 tion too dangerous, he stood away for New Zealand. His Cook's Second 

 conclusion is thus expressed: — "It is my opinion that Voyage, i., 

 there is no strait between New Holland and Van Diemen's 11Sl 

 Land, but a very deep bay." 



No further exploration in that direction took place 

 before the settlement of Port Jackson in 1788, and for 

 years subsequently the resources of the new colony were 

 too limited to allow of more than boat expeditions to short 

 distances from the Sydney Heads. 



In June 1797, however, the wreck of a vessel named Flinders' 

 the Sydney Cove, on Cape Barren Island in the Fur- Voyage, Intro, 

 neaux Group, led to the despatch of the colonial schooner I? 4 ' . 

 Francis to the scene of the wreck. The trips of the Poland* 

 Francis not only extended geographical knowledge, but July, 1797. 

 aroused a keen interest in the locality, as the seat of a 

 most lucrative seal fishery. 



Just at this time H. M. S. Reliance arrived at Port 2(5 June, 1797, 

 Jackson from the Cape of Good Hope, with a cargo of Collins' New 

 cattle. She was in a very leaky condition, and had to be South Wales, 

 detained for extensive repairs. Amongst her officers were *' ' ' 

 two eager and adventurous spirits, her Second Lieut., 

 Matthew Flinders and her Surgeon, George Bass. They 

 were both young— Flinders was 23— both ardent and full 

 of zeal for exploration. On a previous voyage of the Re- 

 liance they had made a daring expedition down the coast 

 m a boat only 8 feet long, and Bass had travelled inland 

 to try to cross the Blue Mountains. On this occasion Flinders' 

 ■Hinders could not leave his ship, but Bass, tired of in- Voyage, 

 action, prevailed on Governor Hunter to lend him a Intro '' 100 ' 

 whaleboat for a more extended voyage. The Governor 

 gave him a boat, six weeks' provisions, and a crew of six 

 seamen from the King's ships. In this whaleboat Bass 

 made his way down the coast, examining the inlets and 

 harbours, and battling with head winds and gales, tor a 

 distance of more than 600 miles. Rounding Cape Howe, 

 and passing Cook's furthest point (Cape Hicks), he 

 sighted the high land afterwards known as Wilson's 

 romontory, but the contrary winds preventing him from 

 reaching it, he stood across for the Furneaux Islands, 

 where he hoped to replenish his stock of provisions. The 

 wind, however, now drove him to the south-west, and as 



