The Logbooks of the Lady Nelson

y, instructed him to ascertain the correct latitude of the promontory and of the islands lying off it. He was also told to survey King Island, then to sail to King Geo

In his journal Grant says that it was reserved for the Lady Nelson to ascertain accurately the extent of Bass Strait, but he did not carry out the whole of King's

ape Ottway was about a degree and a half in error. He also made the land to trend away on the west side of Cape Otway to a deep bay, which he named Portland Bay. An

and his wife Worogan) went with the expedition, and Mr. John Murray joined the ship as first mate* (* Formerly Master'

re sending the vessel back to Port Jackson Grant wrote a letter to the Governor at Sydney stating the reason of her return. He placed the letter between two flat pieces of lead, and running close to the Bee threw it on board. The Lady Nelson then continued her voyage, and at 4 P.M. on the 10th sighted the north head of Jervis Bay bearing west-south-west 8 or 9 miles distant. At seven o'clock on the following morning the first mate was sent in the boat to look for an anchorage, and returned at nine with one of the natives, b

to. The sound of a small bugle horn had a very great effect on him, and he endeavoured, by applying it to his own mouth, to make it sound, but without effect...This stranger whom I had placed near the natives of Sydney, sat by them, without saying a word, for about half an hour, soon after the expiration of which time, great familiarity took place betwixt them. It appeared evident to me that...the

is long white beard, made him a very interesting figure. The natives appeared to pay the old man great respect and obedience of which I saw more afterwards

of bark, and at others, of their hands, sending the canoe along very swiftly by either means. When paddling with the hand they were apt to throw more or less water into the canoe, which, with a small calabash, they dexterously threw

ediately made signs for me to rub his nose with it. About our settlements they are often seen with their noses painted with a red gum. They likewise form a circle nearly round their eyes with a whitish clay. The latter, it is said, is by way of mourning for the death of a friend...The women also paint their noses red, and their breasts with a streak of red and white alternately. Having occa

ed Euranabie and began to converse with him, using many words that seemed to resemble the Sydney dialect, such as 'Bail,' which Grant says signified 'No,' and 'Maun' to take off or carry away. These natives, when the

to have some fish, so the nets were cast a second time, and

young fellow who had a bunch of grass fastened round his waist which came up behind like the tail of a kangaroo. He was very merry, and fro

enty. I made signs to the natives for that purpose, and one of them offered his services. We walked towards the end of the beach we were then on, and entered the woods. We saw sever

of the forest trees: there was no underwood, but there was excellent g

Barrallier, Mr. Caley, botanist, and two soldiers. They entered the woods at the same place as before, intending to make a circuit back to the boat. Again, beautiful birds were seen, among them, some cockatoos which were perfectly black "excepting the breast and a

where I had ordered our boat to haul the seine. We found the track of the natives and fell in with several of their gunnies or habitations. These are constructed with a few boughs stuck up to screen them from the wind; bones of beasts, birds and fish were lying about them. On the return to the boat, Mr. Barrallier sh

wo soldiers, accompanied me on another excursion. We took another direction inland...but saw no kangaroos. We met with two small lagoons and several streams of good water running

rent fires that had been employed in cooking fish and other eatables, the bones of which were strewed about. Among them we picked up part of a human skull-the os frontis with the sockets of the eyes and part of the bones of the nos

. I was anxious to have this cleared up, as the ship Sydney Cove from India to Port Jackson had been wrecked about twelve months before to the southward and it was reported that some of the crew were killed by the natives near this place."* (* The Sydney Cove from Bengal to New South Wales was wrecked on Preservation Island, Tasmania, on 8th F

ellows, who said that they were those of a white man that had come in a canoe from the southward where the ship "tumble down," meaning that it had been wrecked. Lieutenant Gr

shore with Mr. Barrallier to make a survey of the cove we were lying in. When preparing to return to the vessel we were joined by several natives who appeared anxious to go on board with us.

rvey...the western side of the island which lies in the mouth of the harbour and shelters the cove from

t who held up the chain in his hand. The boat's crew brought him on board to me. On looking at the chain it was made up in the usual way...and tied with a piece of string; but in undoing it I found that the natives had untwisted every bend of the wires which contained the brass markers and after taking them off bent the wir

been rewarded for carrying back the chain. The blanket attracted their notice much, the use of which they appeared to know. The old man whom I formerly mentioned was among them; he made signs for me to sit

k of her child a brass marker which had been taken from the stolen chain. Grant says: "They examined my buttons and the head of my dirk and seemed much surprised at my watch chain which I began to think they had an inclination for, but I was soon relieved on pulling out my watch. They did not seem to like it and talked very gravely among themselves; they were all anxious

ng to be from a spring, I expressed my desire to be taken to a rivulet. A native stept forward, as I supposed, to show me, but on my following him he turned back and left us. Thinking from the direction we were in that water was not far distant I took one of my men with me to whom I gave my fowling-piece to carry...We saw another native a little way before us to whom I signified what I wanted." As Grant approached, this nat

and got clear out of the cove by ten, when we found a moderate bree

is worthy of remark that Jarvis's Bay* (* i.e. Jervis Bay.) or sound is large, commodious and easy of access, affording shelter from all winds and having room for upwards of 200 sail of ships with ple

a strange sail which proved to be the ship Britannia, Captain Turnbull, from England, bound for the whale fishery. She

NORTH BY EA

March,

I presume she is one more who has come through the Straits. The Bee, no doubt, has arrived long ere now. I, on the Tuesday morning after she parted, got safely into Jarvis's Bay, and sailed early

very great retard to us...for the sea here, when it blows hard (owing, I presume, to the current setting strong against the wind) makes it run confused and break much...Mr. Barrallier has got n

be south 39 degrees 4 minutes.* (* The latitude of Wilson's Promontory is 39 degrees 7 minutes 55 seconds and the longitude 146 degrees 25 minutes east. In the log, Lieutenant Grant gives the former as 38 degrees 59 minutes and longitude 146 degrees 6 minutes east.) From Wilson's Promontory, the land

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

is 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 fu

s as being after Page 48, was missing from the book.-CHA

t 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

ng. On the following morning the second mate (Mr. Bowen) tried to find the stream but was also unsuccessful. During his absence the Commander explored the banks of a creek "which opened abreast of the vessel" and Barrallier and Murray surveyed the

ual labour...covered with good tender grass," a delightful sight to him. The open land had the appearance of being frequently overflowed and he thought it was well adapted for the purpose of fattening cattle; numbers of black swans and other water-fowl were seen in the creek, the length of which was about

as possible passing no less than 42 short reaches. Its breadth at the entrance was about half a cable's length and at th

n with a rocky point about which I observed playing in the water a number of fishes called salmon in New Holland. I expressed a desire to the native of having some...and no sooner expressed my wish than I missed my companion from behind me. I halloed...upon which he instantly presented himself from the wood with a small stick in his hand. Asking for my knife he presently sharpened one end to a point and then, stripping himself, he leaped from one point of the rock to another until he met with an op

ich he was instructed to land. Barrallier accompanied him. Soon after their departure bad weather set in which prevented their landing. They eventually anchored off a sandy beach which appeared to have no surf, but were suddenly surprised by a heavy swelling sea that rolled upon it, followed by another which filled the boat, upsetting it upon the beach. Fortun

This carried them inland and they discovered marks of fires made by the natives. The log book records that they met none of the blacks at any place though there were native dog tracks in abundance. "Towards the end of this branching stream the country appeared to afford plots of very rich pasture. At some considerable distance the land rose to a height, and being covered with large trees which appeared to have been shattered by st

o the ha! ha! ha! of a hearty laughing companion) was the first to salute the explorers in the morning. The whistling duck, so called because of the whistling noise made with its wings when flying, was shot here, and a grey parrot was caught alive. Mr. Barrallier shot a rare cockatoo.* (* It was stuffed and afterwards given to General Davies, R.A., by Governor King.) The wet weather afterwards ga

ad a few of them cut down and brought on board...I brought Governor King specimens of light woods and a species of sassafras discovered by my second mate...On our way down the riv

nothing wanting but to prepare the ground to receive such seeds as I should choose to plant...It was no easy matter...for we had neith

ought with us from Sydney. This dog remained with the people on the island, and, as they reported to me, was one night engaged with some animal apparently of equal strength, for it brought him to the ground and made him howl...The ground was now prepared and I sowed my several sorts of

the traces of iron seen, he adds: "We turned up a few stones and some interspersed with veins of iron ore, indeed so rich in metal that they had a visible effect on the needle of our compass; stones of a like kind are found about Sydney." In the pages of his journal and also of

the mouth of the freshwater river part of a canoe which had sunk near the mouth. He brought it back to the ship together with two paddles and some fishing line." The canoe differed greatly from those

was handed over, along with the other

pening of the extensive arms described by Mr. Bass of which this port has two branching out to the northward." Grant named this

THE DISCOVERIES MADE BETWEEN

uth Wales." This chart is generally referred to as "Barrallier's Combined Chart." King doubtless alludes to it

of their drinking water, the Commander writes: "Luckily I heard the bullfrog, which is common in New South Wales, and I made towards the thicket from whence his croaking issued and there found a present supply. This arm reminded me of the appearance of Porchester Lake when the tide is out. Indeed the entire view of Western Port has no small resemblance to Spithead and Portsmouth Harbour. On the 17th we got under weigh and at night brought up in 12 fathoms water with rather a foul bottom. In the morni

of seventy miles, but winter being now advanced little more could be done in the way of surveying, and as the wet weather was prejudicial to the instrume

among my ship's company, one man only excepted, whose skull had been fractured." He also tells us that while in Botany Bay he h

ected of him. The voyage, however, must have had its compensations, as Barrallier was able not only to survey Jervis Bay and Western Port (the map of the former is not

T CHART OF

s. The details given by Flinders were supplied by William Campbell, master of the Harrington, who, in March 1802, found a quantity of wreckage there. Nothing remained to show the name of the lost vessel, nor was any clue subsequently discovered by which she could be identi