# A Voyage to Terra Australis/Volume 1/Introduction/Section 4/Part 1

PRIOR DISCOVERIES IN TERRA AUSTRALIS.
SECTION IV.
EAST COAST, WITH VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.
PART I.
Preliminary Information. Van Diemen's Land would more properly have been arranged under the head of the South Coast; but the later discoveries here have so intimate a connexion with those on the East, as to render it impossible to separate them without making repetitions, and losing perspicuity in the narrative.
The anxiety of the Dutch government at Batavia, to know how far the South Lands might extend towards the antarctic circle, was the cause of Tasman being sent with two vessels, to ascertain this point; and the discovery of Van Diemen's Land was one of the results. It was not, however, the policy of the Dutch government to make discoveries for the benefit of general knowledge; and accordingly this voyage "was never," says Dr. Campbell, "published intire; and it is probable, that the East-India Company never intended it should be published at all. However, Dirk Rembrantz, moved by the excellency and accuracy of the work, published in Low Dutch an extract of captain Tasman's journal, which has ​ever since been considered as a great curiosity; and as such, has been translated into many languages."
If a judgment may be formed from the translations, Rembrantz must have omitted great part of the nautical details concerning Van Diemen's Land, a defect which is remedied in the following account. It is taken from a journal containing, besides the daily transactions and observations throughout the whole voyage, a series of thirty-eight manuscript charts, views, and figures. The expression by me, which often occurs in it, and followed by the signature Abel Jansz Tasman, shews that if this were not his original journal, it is a copy from it: probably one made on board for the governor and council of Batavia. With this interesting document, and a translation made in 1776, by Mr. C.G. Woide, chaplain of His Majesty's Dutch chapel at St. James's, I was favoured by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.
Tasman. 1642.Captain Abel Jansz Tasman sailed from Batavia on Aug. 14, 1642, with the yacht Heemskerk and fly-boat Zeehaan; and, after touching at Mauritius, steered south and eastward upon discovery. Nov. 24, at four p.m., high land was seen in the E. by N., supposed to be distant forty miles.Atlas Plate VII. The ships steered towards it till the evening; when there were high mountains visible in the E.S.E., and two smaller ones in the N.E. They sounded in 100 fathoms, and then stood off from the land, with the wind at south-east.
In the morning of Nov. 25., it was calm; but on a breeze spring​ing up from the southward, Tasman steered for the land; and at five p.m., when it was twelve miles distant, sounded in 60 fathoms, coral bottom: at four miles off, the bottom was fine white sand. The latitude was then 42° 30′ south; the mean of all their longitudes 163° 50′ east (of Teneriffe apparently); and the compass had no variation. The coast here lies S. by E. and N. by W. It is of an even height; and was named Antony Van Diemen's Land, in honour of the governor-general, "our master, who sent us out to make discoveries. The islands round about, as many of them as were known to us, we called in honour of the Council of India."
The ships stood off again for the night, with a light breeze at S.S.E. On the 26th, the wind was from the eastward, and weather rainy, so that no land could be seen; but its distance was supposed to be twelve or thirteen leagues. At noon, the latitude from dead reckoning was 43° 36′, and longitude 163° 2′; the course having been S.S.W. 72 miles. In the evening the wind shifted to the north-east, and their course was directed E.S.E.: the variation was then half a degree west.
Nov. 27, the land was again seen. At noon, a course of S.E. by E. 52 miles, gave the latitude by estimation 44° 4′ south, and longitude 164° 2′ east. The weather was thick and rainy, and the wind still from the north-eastward; and at the fourth hour of the night, the vessels lay to, not venturing to run in the dark. In the morning of the 28th, it was foggy, with rain. They made sail to the east; but on seeing the land from N.E. to N.N.E., hauled up for it. From what could be perceived of the coast, it extended S.E. by E. and N.W. by W., and seemed to decrease in height to the eastward. At noon, the latitude by estimation was 44° 1′, longitude 165° 2′; and the course steered, E. by S. 44 miles. The wind was ​then at north-west; and in the evening, they came near three small islands, one of which was shaped like a lion's head, and lies twelve miles from the continent (this was the Mewstone, of Furneaux). The wind was from the eastward in the night, and the ships lay to.
Nov. 29, they were still near the cliffy, lion-head-shaped island. The wind was light and fair, and they steered parallel to the coast, which lies here east and west. At noon, having made a course of E.N.E. 48 miles, the latitude was judged to be 43° 53′, longitude 166° 3′. They had, a little before, passed two cliffy islets lying to seaward; of which the westernmost (Swilly of Furneaux) is like Pedra Blanca near the coast of China: the easternmost (Eddystone of Cook) resembles an awkward tower, and is about sixteen miles from the main land. Continuing to coast along the shore, they came, at five in the evening, to a bay, into which it was resolved in council to enter; but when almost in it, a high wind rose, and obliged them to shorten sail and stand out to sea. At daylight of the 30th, they found themselves driven so far off by the storm (whence the name of Storm Bay, applied in the chart), that the land was scarcely visible. At noon, the general course had been E. by N. 80 miles; the latitude was found to be 43° 41′, and longitude by estimation (corrected) 168° 3′: the needle pointed here, true North. The land was in sight to the north-west, and the wind strong, but variable, from the northward. The ships steered westward for a short time; but the weather being too stormy to admit of approaching the land, they went upon the other tack; and kept as much to the northward, under easy sail, as the wind would permit.
Dec. 1, the wind was more moderate; and on its veering to W.S.W., the ships steered towards the shore. At noon, their course made good was N.N.W. 32 miles; the latitude was 43° 10′ and longitude 167° 55′. It then fell calm, and a council of officers from the two vessels was called, in which it was resolved, if wind and weather permitted, "to get a knowledge of the land, and some refreshments." An eastern breeze sprung up soon afterward; ​and they got to anchor, an hour after sunset, "in a good port, in 22 fathoms, whitish good-holding sand; wherefore we ought to praise God Almighty." This port is called Frederik Hendrik's Bay, in the chart.
Next morning early, two armed boats were sent to an inlet (the inner bay), situate four or five miles to the north-westward of the ships, in order to search for fresh water, wood, and refreshments. They returned in the afternoon, and the officers gave the following account.
They rowed four or five miles round the point of the inlet, along a high and level shore. Wild greens were plentiful; some resembled those at the Cape of Good Hope, "and may be used in place of wormwood;" others were long and saltish, and like sea parsley. They found many dry gullies, and one watering place in which the water was good, but obtained with difficulty, and in very small quantities. Some human voices were heard, and a sound like that of a trumpet, or little gong, which was not far off; but they could see no person. Amongst the trees, two were remarked whose thickness was two, or two and a half fathoms, and the first branches from sixty to sixty-five feet above the ground. The bark had been taken off with a flint stone, and steps were cut, full five feet one from the other; whence the natives were presumed to be very tall, or able to get up these trees by some artifice. They supposed the steps to be made for the purpose of getting at the nests of birds; and that some of them had not been cut above four days before. They observed traces on the ground, as if made by the claws of a tiger; and saw the excrements, as was thought, of quadrupeds. Some well-looking gums, which dropped from the trees and somewhat resembled gum-lac, were brought on board.
Off the east point of the (inner) bay, they found thirteen to fourteen feet water; and that the tide flowed about three feet. They there saw a number of men, of wild ducks, and geese; but inland ​none were seen, though their noise was heard. Muscles were found sticking to bushes, in different places. The country was covered with trees; but so thinly scattered, that one might see every where to a great distance amongst them, and distinguish men and animals. Several of the trees were "much burnt about the foot; and the ground was here and there like little squares (vuysterchen), and become as hard as stone, by fire."
A short time before the boats returned, a thick smoke had been observed upon the continent, to the west of where the ships lay at anchor; and from the people staying so much longer than they had been ordered, it was thought to have been made by them, as a signal. But on inquiry, they answered in the negative; and said that they, also, had seen smoke in several places; and bushes—(here seems to be a line omitted.) "So that without doubt, here must be exceedingly tall people."
Dec. 3. A boat was sent to the south-east part of the (outer) bay, and found fresh water; but it broke through the low shore to the sea, and was brackish; and the soil was too rocky to dig wells. In the afternoon, commodore Tasman went, with several officers from both vessels in two boats, to the south-east extremity of the bay; taking with them the Prince's flag, and a post upon which was cut a compass, to be erected on shore. One of the boats was obliged to return, from the bad weather; but the shallop went to a little cove W.S.W. of the ships. The surf being there too high to admit of landing, the first carpenter, Pieter Jacobsz, swam on shore with the post and Prince's flag; and set it up near the last of four remarkable trees, which stood in the form of a crescent, in the middle of the cove. "When the first carpenter had done this, in the sight of me Abel J. Tasman, of the master Gerrit Jansz, and under-merchant Abraham Coomans, we went with the shallop as near as possible to the shore, and the said carpenter swam back, through the surf. We then returned on board; and left this as a memorial to the ​posterity of the inhabitants of this country. They did not shew themselves; but we suspected some to be not far from thence, watching carefully our doings."
The wind was from the northward all this day; and at sunset, it blew a storm. The variation at anchor was observed to be 3° east; the latitude was 43° south, and longitude 167½° east (from Teneriffe.)
Dec. 4. The wind was more moderate, and came from the westward, off the land. The anchors were then weighed, but the flukes of one were broken. On quitting Frederik Hendrik's Bay, the ships steered northward as much as possible, to look for a watering place. At noon, the course had been N.E. 32 miles; the latitude was 42° 40′, and longitude 168°. In the evening, they saw a round mountain, about eleven leagues to the N.N.W.; and during the whole day, several smokes were visible along the coast. "Here," says Tasman, "I should give a description of the extent of the coast, and the islands near it, but I hope to be excused, and refer, for brevity's sake, to the chart made of it, and herewith joined."
The ships kept close to the wind all night, as they did in the morning of Dec. 5, when it was N.W. by W. The high round mountain was then seen bearing west, eight leagues, and this was the furthest land visible, nor did the wind allow them to come in with it again. At noon, the latitude was judged to be 41° 34′, and longitude 169°; the course for the last day having been N.E. by N. 80 miles. Tasman then steered "precisely eastward, to make further discoveries," agreeably to a resolution of the council, taken in the morning.
The copy of Tasman's charts, given in the Atlas, Plate III. of D'Entrecasteaux's Voyage, and taken from Valentyn, is conformable to the manuscript charts in the Dutch journal. There is, however, an error of one degree too much east, in the scale of longitude; and Pedra Blanca is erroneously written against the Eddystone, in the general chart. In the plan of Frederik Hendrik's Bay, the name is placed within the inner bay, instead of being ​written, as in the original, on the point of land between the inner and outer bays: I conceive the name was intended to comprise both.
Cook. 1770.More than a century had elapsed after this celebrated voyage of Tasman, and the eastern limit of Terra Australis remained still unknown. But the British nation was then taking the lead in discovery; and the new and liberal principles upon which His Majesty, George III. ordered it to be prosecuted, was a sure indication that so considerable a part of the globe would not long escape attention. Captain James Cook, accompanied by Mr. Green, was sent in the Endeavour to observe, at Taheity, the transit of Venus over the sun's disk; and after accomplishing that object, and making a survey of New Zealand, he continued his course westward, in order to explore the east side of the Terra Australis Incognita.
(Atlas, Pl. I.)In the morning of April 19, 1770, the land was seen bearing from north-east to west; the furthest part, in the latter direction, being judged to lie in 38° south, and 148° 53′ east. But captain Cook could not determine whether it did, or did not, join to Tasman's Van Diemen's Land.
It would be superfluous, here, to follow our great navigator in his discoveries along the coast, northward to Botany Bay and from thence to Cape York. Such an abstract as suits the plan of this Introduction would be little satisfactory to the reader; when, by an easy reference to the original narrative, so much interesting information upon this new country, its productions, and inhabitants, may be obtained.
This voyage of captain Cook, whether considered in the extent of his discoveries and the accuracy with which they were traced, or in the labours of his scientific associates, far surpassed all that had ​gone before. The general plan of the voyage did not, however, permit captain Cook to enter minutely into the details of every part; and had it been otherwise, the very extent of his discoveries would have rendered it impossible. Thus, some portions of the east coast of Terra Australis were passed in the night, many openings were seen and left unexamined, and the islands and reefs lying at a distance from the shore could, generally, be no more than indicated: he reaped the harvest of discovery, but the gleanings of the field remained to be gathered.
Marion. 1772.The first visitor to Van Diemen's Land, after Tasman, its discoverer, was captain Marion. He commanded the Mascarin and Marquis de Castries, from the Isle Mauritius; and one of the objects of his expedition, was the discovery of the supposed Southern Continent. This voyage possesses a considerable degree of interest, and was published at Paris in 1783; but not being generally known in England, the parts which relate to Van Diemen's Land, are here given in abridgment.
(Atlas, Pl. VII.)March 3, 1772, M. Marion made the west side, in latitude 42° 56′, half a degree south of Tasman's first land fall; and behind a point in 43° 15′, he saw an opening leading to the northward, but of which no particular mention is made. Steering eastward, round all the rocks and islets lying off the south coast, he arrived, on the evening of the 4th, in Frederik Hendrik's Bay; and anchored in 22 fathoms, sandy bottom. The great sandy cove of the outer bay bore from thence, S. 25° W. one league and a half; the extreme of Maria's Island, N.E. by N.; and the northernmost part of the main land, N. 5° W. six leagues: (these bearings appear to be as taken by the compass). The latitude observed here, was 42° 50′ south, and longitude 145° 20′ east of Greenwich; the first being 10′, and the longitude above 5° less, than given by Tasman.
The fires and smokes, seen by day and night, bespoke the country ​to be well inhabited; and, on anchoring, there were about thirty men assembled upon the shore. On the boats being sent next morning, the natives went to them without distrust; and, having piled together some pieces of wood, presented a lighted stick to the new comers, and seemed to ask them to set fire to the pile. Not knowing what this ceremony meant, they complied; and the act seemed neither to excite surprise, nor to cause any alteration in the conduct of the natives: they continued to remain about the French party, with their wives and children, as before.
These people were of the common stature, of a black colour, and were all naked, both men and women; and some of the latter had children fastened to their backs, with ropes made of rushes. All the men were armed with pointed sticks (spears), and with stones which appeared to have been sharpened in the manner of axe heads. They had, in general, small eyes, and the white duller than in Europeans; the mouth very wide, the teeth white, and flat noses. Their hair, which resembled the wool of the Caffres, was separated into shreds, and powdered with red ochre. They were generally slender, tolerably well made, kept their shoulders back, and upon their prominent chests, several had marks raised in the skin. Their language appeared harsh; the words seeming to be drawn from the bottom of the throat.
The French tried to win them by little presents, but they rejected with disdain every thing that was offered; even iron, looking-glasses, handkerchiefs, and cloth. They were shown ducks and fowls, which had been carried from the ships; and it was endeavoured to make them understand, that such would be gladly purchased of them; but they took these animals, with which they seemed to be unacquainted, and threw them away in anger.
The party had been about an hour with the savages when captain Marion went on shore. One of the natives stepped forward, and offered him a fire-brand to be applied to a small heap of wood; and the captain, supposing it was a ceremony necessary to prove that he ​came with friendly intentions, set fire to the heap without hesitation. This was no sooner done, than they retired precipitately to a small hill, and threw a shower of stones, by which captain Marion and the commander of the Castries were both wounded. Some shots were then fired; and the French, returning to their boats, coasted along the beach to an open place in the middle of the bay, where there was no hill or eminence from whence they could be annoyed. The savages sent their women and children into the woods, and followed the boats along shore; and on their putting in to land, one of the natives set up a hideous cry, and immediately a shower of spears was discharged. A black servant was hurt in the leg; and a firing then commenced, by which several of the natives were wounded, and one killed. They fled to the woods, making a frightful howling, but carried off such of the wounded as were unable to follow. Fifteen men, armed with muskets, pursued them; and on entering amongst the trees, they found a dying savage. This man was a little more than five feet seven inches high; his breast was marked like those of the Mozambique Caffres, and his skin appeared as black; but on washing off the soot and dirt, his natural colour appeared to be reddish. The spears, which it was feared might have been poisoned, were proved not to be so by the facility with which the wound of the black servant was healed.
After the flight of the savages, captain Marion sent two officers with detachments, to search for water, and for trees proper to make a foremast and bowsprit for the Castries; but after traversing two leagues of country without meeting a single inhabitant, they returned unsuccessful in both pursuits; nor could any fresh water be found during the six days which the ships remained in Frederik Hendrik's Bay.
The land here is quite sandy, but covered with brush-wood, and with small trees which the savages had mostly stripped of the bark for cooking their shell fish. The greater part of the trees were burnt at the foot; but amongst them there was a kind of pine, less ​than ours, which was perfectly preserved; apparently from the natives finding them to be of use in some way or other.
There were marks of fire almost every where; and in many places the earth was covered with ashes. Where it was not burnt, there was plenty of grass, ferns like those of Europe, sorrel, and alléluia. From the few animals seen, it was thought that the fires made by the natives near the coast, drove them inland. The shooters met with a tiger cat, and saw many holes in the ground, like those of a warren. They killed crows, blackbirds, thrushes, doves, a white-bellied paroquet whose plumage resembled that of the same bird at the River Amazons, and several kinds of sea birds, principally pelicans, and the black-bodied red bill.
The climate was cold, although in the end of summer; and it excited surprise, that the savages could go naked; the more so, as the nearest approach to houses consisted of branches of trees, set up behind the fire places to break off the wind. The many heaps of shells seemed to bespeak, that the usual food of these people was muscles and other shell fish.
Many large rays were caught by the French, as also sea cats, old wives, and several other fish whose names were not known. They found also plenty of cray-fish, lobsters, very large crabs, and good oysters; and the curious picked up sea stars, sea eggs, and a variety of fine and rare shells.
Finding he was only losing time in searching for water in this wild country, captain Marion determined to make sail for New Zealand, where he hoped to succeed better, and also to obtain masts for the Castries. He accordingly left Van Diemen's Land on the 10th of March; and the account of it concludes with the observation, that they had very bad weather on the west coast, but on the east side the sky was much clearer and winds more moderate.
The chart of Mons. Crozet, which accompanies the voyage, appears, though on a very small scale, to possess a considerable degree of ​exactness in the form of the land. The wide opening, called Storm Bay, is distinctly marked; as is another bay to the westward, with several small islands in it, the easternmost of which are the Boreel's Eylanden of Tasman.
Furneaux. 1773.A year after Marion had quitted Frederik Hendrik's Bay, Van Diemen's Land was visited by captain Tobias Furneaux, in His Majesty's ship Adventure. He made the South-west Cape on March 9, and steered eastward, close to the islands and rocks called Maatsuyker's, by Tasman; and behind which lay a bold shore, which seemed to afford several anchoring places. Some of these rocks resembled, says captain Furneaux, "the Mewstone, particularly one which we so named, about four or five leagues E.S.E. ½ E. off the above cape, which Tasman has not mentioned, or laid down in his draughts." This is nevertheless the lion-head-shaped island, particularly mentioned by Tasman, as lying twelve miles out from the coast: the mistake arose from the imperfection of the accounts.
After passing Maatsuyker's Isles, captain Furneaux sent a boat to the main land, on the 10th, and the people found places where the natives had been, and where pearl scallop shells were scattered about. "The soil seemed to be very rich; the country well clothed with wood, particularly on the lee sides of the hills; plenty of water which falls from the rocks in beautiful cascades, for two or three hundred feet perpendicular, into the sea; but they did not see the least sign of any place to anchor in with safety."
On the return of the boat, captain Furneaux made sail, and came to "the westernmost point of a very deep bay, called by Tasman Stormy Bay. From the west to the east point of this bay there are several small islands, and black rocks which we called the "Friars." From the Friars he followed the coast N. by E. four leagues, and the same evening anchored in Adventure Bay. "We first took this bay," says the captain, "to be that which Tasman ​called Frederick Henry Bay; but afterwards found that his is laid down five leagues to the northward."
Captain Furneaux here mistook the Storm and Frederik Hendrik's Bays of Tasman; and he has been followed in this error by all the succeeding navigators of the same nation, which has created not a little confusion in the geography of this part of the world.
The bay supposed to have been Storm Bay, has no name in Tasman's chart; though the particular plan shews that he noticed it, as did Marion more distinctly. The rocks marked at the east point of this bay, and called the Friars, are the Boreel's Eylanden of Tasman; and the true Storm Bay is the deep inlet, of which Adventure Bay is a cove. Frederik Hendrik's Bay is not within this inlet, but lies to the north-eastward, on the outer side of the land which captain Furneaux, in consequence of his first mistake, took to be Maria's Island, but which, in fact, is a part of the main land. All this is evident from a close comparison of the forms of the land in the two charts, and is corroborated by the differences of longitude from the Mewstone.
Adventure Bay proved to be a valuable discovery, being a good and well-sheltered anchorage, where wood and water were abundant, and procurable without much difficulty. The country was found to be pleasant; the soil black and rich, though not deep; the sides of the hills covered with large trees of the evergreen kind, growing to a great height before they spread out into branches. There were several species of land birds; and the aquatic fowl were ducks, teal, and the sheldrake. An opossum was seen, and the excrement of another quadruped, judged to be of the deer kind. Sea fish were caught, but not in plenty. The lagoons abounded with trout and several other sorts of fish. No natives came down to the ships; but their fires were seen at a distance, and several of their miserable huts were examined. Not the least mark of canoe or boat was seen, and it was generally thought they had none; "being altogether, from what we could judge, a very ignorant and wretched set of people; ​though natives of a country capable of producing every necessary of life, and a climate the finest in the world. We found not the least sign of any minerals or metals."
After remaining five days in Adventure Bay, captain Furneaux sailed along the coast to the northward, in order to discover whether Van Diemen's Land were joined to New South Wales. He passed the Maria's, Schouten's, and Vanderlin's Islands of Tasman, at some distance; and then, closing more in with the coast, he found the land to be low and even, and of an agreeable aspect, "but no signs of a harbour or bay, where a ship might anchor in safety." In latitude 40° 50′, the coast, from running nearly north, turned to the westward, and, as captain Furneaux thought, formed a deep bay. From thence to "39° 50′, is nothing but islands and shoals; the land high, rocky, and barren." In the course northward, past these islands, he had regular soundings, from 15 to 30 fathoms, though no land was visible; it was, however, seen again (or thought to be so) in latitude 39°, and nearly due north from the islands. The bottom then becoming uneven, our navigator discontinued his course, and steered for New Zealand.
Whether Van Diemen's Land were, or were not, joined to New South Wales, was a question not yet resolved; but captain Furneaux gave it as his opinion, "that there is no strait between New Holland and Van Diemen's Land, but a very deep bay."
Cook. 1777.The next visitor to Van Diemen's Land was captain James Cook, with his Majesty's ships Resolution and Discovery. He made the South-west Cape on Jan. 24, 1777, and steered eastward along the shore, as captain Furneaux had done, but generally at a greater distance: on the 26th he anchored in Adventure Bay.
Captain Cook's account of this bay agrees nearly with that of Furneaux; but he there procured abundance of fish, and had frequent communication with the natives: his description of them coincides, generally, with what has been recited in Marion's voyage. ​The most striking differences betwixt these people and those captain Cook had seen on the east coast of New South Wales, were in their language, in having no canoes, and in the different texture of the hair: in those it was "naturally long and black, though it be universally cropped short;" whilst in Adventure Bay, "it was as woolly, as that of any native of Guinea." In these particulars, as in some others, they agreed with Dampier's description of the people on the North-west Coast, who were without canoes, and had woolly hair.
The following articles, to the conclusion of Part I. of this Section, are placed somewhat out of their chronological order, for the convenience of classing together all the discoveries which had no connection with the British settlement in New South Wales. Those made in vessels from that settlement, or which may be considered as a consequence of its establishment, will compose Part II. in uninterrupted order.
Bligh. 1788.Captain William Bligh put into Adventure Bay with his Majesty's ship Bounty in 1788, and with the Providence and Assistant in 1792; for the purpose of obtaining wood and water. These were procured with facility, as also plenty of fish; and many useful seeds and trees were planted.
No discoveries being made here, beyond those of Furneaux and Cook, the reader is referred to captain Bligh's Voyage to the South Seas, p. 45 to 54, for his observations on the country and inhabitants. There is, however, one remarkable circumstance recorded of these people, which is, that when presents wrapped up in paper were thrown to them, "they took the articles out, and placed them on their heads;" a ceremony which is similar to that recorded by Witsen, of the inhabitants on the east side of the Gulph of Carpentaria.
Cox. 1770.The brig Mercury, commanded by John Henry Cox, Esq., anchored at the entrance of a deep bay on the south side of Van Diemen's Land, on July 3, 1789. This bay was then first discovered, and lies N. by W. ten miles from the Mewstone. The country was found to be agreeably interspersed with hills and vallies, and some of the hills were luxuriantly clothed with trees to their very summits. About four miles from the vessel, there was a stream of fresh water; and close to it stood a hut, or rather hovel, neatly constructed of branches of trees and dried leaves. "Around it were scattered a great quantity of pearl; escalop, oyster, and other shells, which had been lately roasted." The fæces of some large animal were met with in every direction; but neither the animal itself nor any of the natives could be found.
July 5. A heavy swell from the southward obliged Mr. Cox to get under way; and he worked along shore to the eastward. His intention was to put into Adventure Bay; but being set to the northward of his reckoning, on the 8th, he discovered, and came to an anchor in Oyster Bay, on the inner side of Maria's Island, the shelter there being found secure, and wood and water plentiful. This bay lies in 42° 42′ south, and 148° 25′ east, and not more than three or four leagues to the northward of Tasman's Frederik Hendrik's Bay; though Mr. Cox, following in the error of captain Furneaux, seems to have had no idea of this proximity.
Some communication was obtained with the inhabitants of the island; but as nothing in this, or in other respects, was found materially different to what was observed by Mons. Marion and captain Cook in the neighbouring bays, it is unnecessary to enter into the details.
D'Entrecasteaux. 1792.The French rear-admiral, Bruny D'Entrecasteaux, made the coast of Van Diemen's Land with the intention of procuring wood ​and water at Adventure Bay; "but deceived by the forms of the coast, which resemble each other, he entered Storm Bay," April 20, 1792. This is not, however, the Storm Bay of Tasman; but that which was taken for such by captain Furneaux.
The error was soon detected; but finding shelter and good anchoring ground, the admiral determined to remain where he was, and to examine the inlet. The result most amply repaid his labour, by opening to him the most important discovery which had been made in this country from the time of Tasman. Instead of an open bay, this inlet was found to be the entrance into a fine navigable channel, running more than ten leagues to the northward, and there communicating with the true Storm Bay. It contains a series of good harbours, or is itself, rather, one continued harbour, from beginning to end.
This new passage obtained the name of Canal de D'Entrecasteaux; and, after passing through it with his ships, the admiral steered across Storm Bay, passing to the southward of the land which Furneaux and Cook had taken for Maria's Islands. At the head of Storm Bay other openings were seen; but the wind from the north and the pressure of time, did not allow him to examine them at that period.
1793.On Jan. 21, of the following year, admiral D'Entrecasteaux anchored again in one of the ports on the west side of the entrance to his newly discovered channel; and after completing the wood and water of his two ships, La Recherche and L'Esperance, pursued his former course up the passage, sending boats to complete the surveys of the different harbours on each side. A boat was also sent to explore the two openings in the head of Storm Bay. The westernmost proved to be a river, up which the boat ascended twenty miles to the northward; and so far it was navigable for ships. It was not pursued further; so that the distance, to which this ​Rivière du Nord might penetrate into the country, was uncertain. The eastern opening led northward into a wide, open bay; and this into another large expanse of water to the eastward, but which was not examined. It was thought, however, that this eastern bay communicated with that of Frederik Hendrik; and on this supposition (which has not proved correct), the land which Furneaux and Cook had erroneously thought to be Maria's Island, was named Île d'Abel Tasman.
The charts of the bays, ports, and arms of the sea at the southeast end of Van Diemen's Land, constructed in this expedition by Mons. Beautemps-Beaupré and assistants, appear to combine scientific accuracy and minuteness of detail, with an uncommon degree of neatness in the execution: they contain some of the finest specimens of marine surveying, perhaps ever made in a new country.
Admiral D'Entrecasteaux gives a very favourable account of the disposition of the native inhabitants on the shores of the channel; and he had frequent communications with them. In person and manner of living, they agree with those described by Marion and Cook; but the vocabulary of their language is somewhat different; and bark canoes, which preceding navigators had thought them not to possess, were found in the channel. The description of the country is, generally, favourable; though somewhat less so than that of captain Cook at Adventure Bay. The climate was thought good, though moist; and the supplies of wood, water, and fish, for ships, were abundant; but the preference, in these respects, was given to Adventure Bay, even by the French admiral.
Mons. Labillardière, in his previously published account of D'Entrecasteaux's voyage, says, that he found a small vein of coal near the South Cape; and that lime-stone rocks exist on the west-side of Adventure Bay. These circumstances are omitted by M. de Rossel; as is also the remark, that although the natives had their teeth perfect, in general, yet in some near the bay, one, and sometimes two of the upper front teeth were wanting. The same thing was ​observed by Dampier, of the inhabitants on the north-west coast of Terra Australis; and this coincidence, together with their similarity of person, particularly in the woolly hair, is sufficiently remarkable to induce a belief, that these people, placed at the two extremities of this vast country, have yet one common origin; although the intermediate inhabitants of the East Coast differ in some essential particulars.
Hayes. 1794.Captain John Hayes, of the Bombay marine, visited Storm Bay and D'Entrecasteaux's Channel, with the private ships Duke and Dutchess from India, in 1794. He went much further up the Rivière du Nord, than the boat from the French ships had done, and gave it the name of the Derwent River. This name is likely to efface the first appellation, and with some degree of propriety; both from the superior extent of captain Hayes' examination, and from North River being an equivocal term for a stream at the south end of Van Diemen's Land.
That captain Hayes had some intimation of the French discovery is evident, but not knowing the distinctive appellations given, he took upon himself to impose names every where. Succeeding visitors have gone with his sketch in their hands, whilst the charts of D'Entrecasteaux were unknown in that part of the world; from whence, and still more from those names having now become familiar to the settlement established in the Derwent River, it will be difficult, if not impossible in many cases, for the original discoverer to be reinstated in his rights.
The head of the Derwent is the sole part where captain Hayes' sketch conveys information, not to be found much more accurately delineated in the charts of D'Entrecasteaux.
* ↑ Complete Collection of Voyages and Travels, originally published by John Harris, D.D. and F.H.S. London, 1744. Vol. I. page 325.
* ↑ I am proud to take this opportunity of publicly expressing my obligations to the Right Hon. President of the Royal Society; and of thus adding my voice to the many who, in the pursuit of science, have found in him a friend and patron. Such he proved in the commencement of my voyage, and in the whole course of its duration; in the distresses which tyranny heaped upon those of accident; and after they were overcome. His extensive and valuable library has been laid open; and has furnished much that no time or expense, within my reach, could otherwise have procured.
* ↑ This and the following courses and distances run from one noon to another, do not always agree with the latitudes and longitudes; but the differences are not great: They probably arose from the distances being marked to the nearest Dutch mile on the log board; whereas the latitude and longitude are taken to minutes of a degree.
* ↑ In Vol. III. just published, of captain Burney's History of Discoveries in the South Sea, a copy is given of Tasman's charts, as they stand in the original.
* ↑ Hawkesworth's Voyages, Vol. III, page 77, et seq.
* ↑ According to captain Cook, the longitude should be 148° 10′.
* ↑ It is more probable, that these trees are able to resist the fire better than the others.
* ↑ Cook's Second Voyage, Vol. I. p. 109.
* ↑ See Cook's Third Voyage, Vol. I. p. 93-117.
* ↑ Observations, &c, made during a voyage in the brig Mercury; by Lieut. G. Mortimer of the Marines. London, 1791.
* ↑ Voyage de D'Entrecasteaux, rédigé par M. de Rossel: À Paris 1808. Tome I. p. 48.