Its
Eastern Extremity Resembled The Head Of A Snapper And Was Known As
Snapper Head.
Bass himself had, in discovering the Strait, noticed the
resemblance.) It falls in a high clay bluff down to the water's edge.
The
small islands lying off it were covered with seals, numbers of which, on
our approach, precipitated themselves into the sea, covering the passage,
while others remained on the rocks making a very disagreeable noise,
something like the grunting of pigs. They were of a large size, many of
them being nearly equal to a bullock. I judged them to be of that species
of seal called by fishermen sea elephants, accordingly I named these
islands, Seal Islands. I sent a boat ahead to sound...and found between
the Seal Islands and the South Head, 12, 9, 6, 5 and 3 1/2 fathoms of
water which last was shoaled in mid channel. This passage will shorten
the distance when there is a leading wind but standing round to the
westward of Seal Islands there will be found sufficient room for any
number of vessels to beat in. Mr. Bass, when he visited this place in the
whale boat, entered the port by the eastern passage which is much the
smallest, and coasting the western shore, from whence he made his
remarks. It is probable that these islands, lying so close to the western
side of him, did not show themselves to be detached...It had rained
constantly and heavily all night and...we could not see any great
distance from the vessel therefore I kept the lead going as she worked up
the harbour."
At half-past five she was "brought to" opposite to a sandy point which he
named Lady Nelson's Point "as a memorial of the vessel as she was the
first decked one that ever entered this port...Mr. Barrallier went on
shore with the second mate. They saw black swans and redbills, an aquatic
bird so called whose back is black, breast white, beak red and feet not
fully webbed. On Sunday 22nd or, according to our sea account the 23rd at
noon, I went with two of our crew in the smallest boat to search for a
river or stream described by Mr. Bass."
In proceeding along the shore Grant passed a muddy flat, and fell in with
an island* (* The log says this island bore north-north-west, 2 miles.)
"separated from the main by a very narrow channel at low water."...On
this he landed. "The situation of it was so pleasant that this together
with the richness of the spot made me conceive the idea that it was
excellently adapted for a garden." The island was called Churchill's
Island after John Churchill, Esquire, of Dawlish, in the county of Devon,
who, when the Lady Nelson left England, had given her commander vegetable
seeds, the stones of peaches, and the pips of several sorts of apples,
telling him "to plant them for the future benefit of our fellow-men, be
they countrymen, Europeans or savages." Captain Schanck had also supplied
him with seeds.
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