Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/225

alas! now no more—an honourable place in the list of those whose order stands most conspicuous for the promotion of useful knowledge." There seemed to "want no other proof of the existence of a passage between New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land than that of sailing positively through it." Governor Hunter deserves gratitude for entrusting to the gallant friends the task of positive proof.

On 7th Oct. 1798, with Bass and a crew of eight volunteers from King's ships, with Flinders, then twenty-four years old, sailed in the Norfolk sloop, twenty-five tons, with twelve weeks' provisions. Buffeted by adverse winds, the little band persevered. The Tamar was entered, and Port Dalrymple was named. A gale drove the Norfolk back to Furneaux's group (21st Nov.) It was not till the 3rd Dec. that she could work to the westward again, and then the allotted time for the voyagers had nearly expired. Nothing daunted, on the 6th they discovered Circular Head. On the 9th a vast crowd of sooty petrels,^[1] the birds of Providence at Norfolk Island, passed over the voyagers in a stream from fifty to eighty yards in depth and three hundred yards or more in breadth. "On the lowest calculation" Flinders thought the number "not less than a hundred million."

On that day, while passing between Van Diemen's Land and Three Hummock Island, "a long swell was perceived to come from the S.W.... Although it was likely to prove troublesome and perhaps dangerous, Mr. Bass and myself hailed it with joy and mutual congratulation, as announcing the completion of our long-wished-for discovery of a passage into the Southern Indian Ocean.

Cape Grim was named on that day. The west coast was traced, and on the 21st Dec. the sloop was anchored at the mouth of the Derwent. On the 22nd she was taken twelve miles up the river. On the 3rd Jan. 1799, the brother heroes put to sea, and in eight days they were safe in Sydney. No unworthy jealousies marred their renown.

"To the straits" (Flinders wrote), "which had been the great object of research, and whose discovery was now completed, Governor Hunter gave