PRIOR DISCOVERIES IN TERRA AUSTRALIA 
SECTION IV. 
EAST COAST, WITH VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. 
PART II. 
Preliminary Information. Boat Expeditions of Bass and Flinders. 
Clarke. Shortland. Discoveries of Bass to the southward of Port 
Jackson ; of Flinders ; and of Flinders and Bass. Examinations to 
the northward by Flinders. Conclusive Remarks. 
TP 
1 he year 1788 will ever be a memorable epoch in the history of Preliminary 
Terra Australis. On Jan. 18, captain ( now vice-admiral ) Arthur Informatlon ' 
Philip arrived in Botany Bay, with His Majesty's brig Supply ; and 
was followed by the Syrius, captain John Hunter, six sail of trans- 
ports, and three store ships. The purpose of this armament was to 
establish a colony in New South Wales, over which extensive 
country captain Philip was appointed Governor and Captain-general. 
Botany Bay proved to be an unfavourable situation for the new colony ; 
it was, therefore, abandoned in favour of Port Jackson, which lies 
three leagues to the northward, and was found to be one of the finest 
harbours in the world. 
A history of this establishment at the extremity of the globe, in a 
country where the astonished settler sees nothing, not even the grass 
under his feet, which is not different to whatever had before met his 
eye, could not but present objects of great interest to the European 
reader ; and the public curiosity has been gratified by the perusal 
of various respectable publications, wherein the proceedings of the 
