24 
mediately adjoining Shark Bay, ostensibly for the purpose of estab- 
lishing a base to which convicts, reconvicted of lighter crimes at 
Botany Bay, might be sent and “that possession may be gained of a 
port which it may hereafter be found important to have retained.” 
In the private communication the Secretary says, “The sailing of two 
French ships on a voyage of discovery have (sic) led to the consid- 
eration how far our distant possessions in the Australian seas may 
be prejudiced by any designs which the French may entertain of 
establishing themselves in that quarter, and more especially on that 
part of the coast of New South \\ ales which has not as yet received 
anv colonists from this country. 1 allude to that line of coast which 
extends to the westward from the western point of Bathurst Island 
in 129° E. Longitude As this tract of shore is understood to 
he for the most part barren and devoid of all circumstances which 
could invite settlement, it is probable, if the French Government 
should entertain any serious intention of forming an establishment 
on that side of the continent, any island with so advantageous a 
port as Western Port would not be overlooked by them In 
giving those instructions you will observe that 1 have carefully 
avoided any expression winch might he construed, in the event of the 
instructions being hereafter referred to, as an admission of there not 
having been a preoecupaney by us before the French may have 
admitted to establish themselves there, and you will regulate your 
language accordingly. The establishment to be formed at Shark Bay 
is, as you are aware, partly for a different object, but it is equally 
necessary that our projects in that quarter should not be anticipated. 
The advice to Darling to regulate his language probably ex- 
plains why there was no public proclamation of any intention on the 
part of the Government to establish a settlement. 
On the 11th March a further despatch was sent to the Governor 
asking him also to have an examination made of the country around 
King George’s Sound, as it might possibly prove a better locality 
than Shark Bay. Tn all probability these despatches were forwarded 
by the same ship. At any rate, they were answered by Governor 
Darling on the 10th October, 1826, who stated that, in his opinion. 
King George’s Sound was unsuited even for a penal settlement, and 
that Shark Bay was even worse, but that lie would have an exam- 
ination made and added, “The French would, therefore, find it diffi- 
cult to maintain themselves at either of these places. ’’ 
Immediately after the receipt of the instructions, the Governor 
took steps to have them carried out. Three sites for occupancy were 
determined upon, at Raffles Bay, Western Port, and King George’s 
Sound, and the officers in charge of the three expeditions were con- 
fidentially advised “to avoid any expression of doubt as to the whole 
of New Holland being within this Government, any definition of it 
which may he supposed to exist under the designation of New South 
Wales being merely ideal, and intended only with a view of distin- 
