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cessfully urged upon the West India Company. The inducements offered were not commensurate with the expense, and the frugal Dutch mind was not prepared to spend money on something that offered little or no prospect of return.

Dutch interest may from this time be said to have ceased, though as the century progressed Dutch vessels either sighted or touched at isolated portions of the coast, and some had the misfortune to be wrecked there. In 1711 the "Zuytdorp" was supposed to have struck somewhere on the Abrolhos, that area of extreme danger to early navigators, and in 1727 the "Zeewyck" came to grief on a reef in the same group. Of this vessel numerous relics have from time to time been found by various explorers and others, and they now form an interesting exhibit in the Western Australian Museum.

In 1755 and 1765 casual Dutch visits were recorded, but they were without incident.

Almost coincidently with the cessation of Dutch enterprise France became active in the Southern Seas. Thenceforward, up to the time of the actual annexation and settlement of Western Australia by Great Britain, the competing nations in these waters, as in so many parts of the world, were the English and the French.

The first French ship to touch at any portion of the Australian coast was "Le Gros Ventre," under the command of Captain de St. Alouarn, in whose honour the St. Alouarn Islands were named at a later date by D'Entrecasteaux.

For some years after this there is no record that any navigator visited the western shores. The discoveries of Cook in 1770 and his favourable reports on the fertile nature of the country had turned attention to the eastern side of the continent, and whatever efforts were made in the way of exploration were directed toward that part. In 1791, however, nearly a century after the visit of Dampier, the English Government sent out Captain George Vancouver (who had previously served as a midshipman under Cook) and Captain Broughton in H.M.Ss. "Discovery" and "Chatham" on a voyage to the north-west coast of America by way of the Cape and Australia.

On August 20, 1791, they had their first view of Australia—that of a conspicuous promontory with high cliffs dropping almost perpendicularly into the sea. This they named Cape Chatham, after the earl of that name, who at that time presided over the Admiralty. Though describing the promontory as a cape, Vancouver was in some doubt whether it was not really an island, a doubt afterwards proved to be well founded. Passing this and following an eastward course, while keeping as near the shore as possible in the hope of discovering a safe anchorage, they entered a fine natural harbour on the 28th and bestowed upon it the name of King George III. Sound. Landing on the 29th they noticed that there was a further inner harbour and a second extension toward the north-east. The day being the birthday of the Princess Royal they named the inner portion Princess Royal Harbour. Vancouver then, in the name of the King, took formal possession of all the country "from the land we saw north-westward of Cape Chatham so far as we might explore its coasts." On the same day the narrow entrance to the north-eastern extension was discovered and the harbour named Oyster Harbour, on account of the number of oysters found there.

The ships remained at anchor for about a fortnight, during which a close examination of the harbours was made, and the coast for some distance inland was