The Strait That Separates It From New Holland Was
Named By The Governor, Bass's Strait.
The importance of this discovery is
undoubted.
In voyages from New Holland to the Cape of Good Hope,
considerable time is gained by passing through it, instead of following the
former course. In the year 1800, Captain Flinders was again sent out by the
governor, to examine the coast to the northward of Port Jackson; of this
nothing more was known but what the imperfect notices given of it by
Captain Cook supplied. In this voyage he completely examined all the creeks
and bays as far to the northward as the 25th degree of latitude, and more
particularly Glasshouse and Harvey's Bays. The English government at length
resolved that they would wipe off the reproach, which, as Captain Flinders
observes, was not without some reason attributed to them, "that an
imaginary line of more than 250 leagues of extent, in the vicinity of one
of their colonies, should have been so long suffered to remain traced upon
the charts, under the title of UNKNOWN COAST," and they accordingly
appointed him to the command of an expedition fitted out in England for
this purpose.
Before giving an account of this voyage of Captain Flinders, we shall
abridge, from the Introduction prefixed to it, his clear and methodical
account of the progressive discoveries which have been made on the coast of
New Holland, and of what was still to be explored. He particularly dwelt on
the advantages that would result from a practicable passage through Torres'
Strait; if this could be discovered, it would shorten the usual route by
the north of New Guinea, or the Eastern Islands, in the voyage to India and
China.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 715 of 1007
Words from 195690 to 195977
of 273188
