Of the
Norfolk's and Lady Nelson's passages taking care to traverse across to
the latitude of 42 degrees on the south side and within sight of land on
the north side or coast of New Holland (Van Dieman's Land) until between
38 and 42 degrees...As you stand in on the New Holland side you will
examine the coast between Cape Albany Otway and Cape Solicitor which
Lieutenant Grant named Portland Bay the bottom of which he did not see.
Should you have time I would wish you to run due south from Cape
Solicitor as far as 40 degrees and work back again to Cape
Bridgewater...you will employ another month...in tracing the coast from
Cape Banks...In returning to this port you will deliver all such journals
and charts as may have been completed...during your intended voyage.
"Should you fall in with H.M.S. Investigator you will communicate these
instructions to the Commander...and put yourself under his command. And
in case you fall in and are come up with by the Naturaliste and
Geographe, French vessels on discovery, you will produce your passport
from His Grace the Duke of Portland to the Commander of that expedition.
"PHILIP GIDLEY KING.
"SYDNEY, October 31st, 1801."
CHAPTER 5.
MURRAY'S EXPLORATION OF BASS STRAIT.
The Lady Nelson set forth from Sydney on her mission on November 12th,
1801. Obeying Governor King's orders, Murray steered first towards the
Kent Group.* (* The Kent Group was discovered by Lieutenant Matthew
Flinders in the Francis, and named by him in honour of Captain William
Kent of H.M.S. Supply. The group was subsequently visited by Mr.
Rushworth and other sailors.) His log shows how he mistook other islands,
probably the Sisters* (* The Sisters Islands were so named by Captain
Furneaux in 1773 from the resemblance they bore to each other. Peron
calls them two small islands escarpes.) at the northern extremity of the
Furneaux Group, for his place of destination and how, when 25 miles to
the northward of Cape Barren, on seeing smoke rising from an island, he
sent a boat ashore and found living there two men, a woman and a child,
the men, Chase and Beven, being sealers in the employ of Messrs. Kable &
Underwood, of Sydney. The Lady Nelson was then brought to and moored in
Diana Bay, a well-known anchorage in Furneaux Islands.
Murray, at this time, seems to have been much farther southward than
Governor King intended him to go, for the island which he writes of as
Grand Capshine was undoubtedly the Grand Capuchin, the largest island of
the Furneaux Group, now known as Flinders Island.* (* Named Flinders
Island by Captain Flinders in honour of his brother, Lieutenant Samuel
Flinders, R.N.)
Diana Bay, the bay in which the Lady Nelson stayed for some days, was
formed by the shores of the Grand Capuchin and Storehouse and Cat
Islands, the last named islands being the Babel Islands of Flinders.
