Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/402

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GEORGE BASS.

Bass sailed in February. His certificate from King stated that

"Mr. George Bass, of the brigantine Venus, has been employed since the 1st day of Nov., 1801, upon His Britannic Majesty's service, in procuring provisions, and still continues those exertions. Now should he, in order to avoid a long and precarious research amongst the islands of the Pacific Ocean, find it expedient to resort to any harbour or port in His Catholic Majesty's dominions upon the west coast of America, this instrument is intended to declare my full belief that his sole object in going will be to procure animal food and live stock for breeding, which the colony is much in want, of. . . . I have therefore to request that all Governors or Commanders-in-Chief of any of the ports or places in His Catholic Majesty's territories, where the aforesaid Mr. George Bass may happen to touch, will not only afford him their countenance and protection, but also assist him so far as may be consistent with their instructions.. . . . (3rd Feb. 1803)."

A shipping list informs us that Bass sailed on the 5th of Feb., comforted, we may hope, by the thought that the Governor was not one of those from whom he had met "unparalleled neglect." As regards Bass, King's despatches tell little more. He warned Lord Hobart in May 1803, and doubtless had discussed with Bass the "hazard of commercial enterprise" on the west coast of America. On the 1st March 1804, he wrote, "After twelve months absence he is not yet returned, which makes me apprehensive for his safety." In April he wrote, "I almost give up hopes of seeing Mr. Bass, who I begin to conjecture has met with some accident." The rest is silence. The gallant explorer is heard of no more.

Rumour, "blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures," assigned various crimes and deaths to Bass. Because M. Peron wrote that he saw in Sydney, in 1802, armed vessels "intended for contraband trade" with Peru, one historian tells that, "in one of these vessels Mr. Bass risked his fortunes and his life;"[1] that he was taken prisoner and sent to the mines; and that his death was variously ascribed to hardships in captivity, and to shipwreck in an attempt to escape. Contradictory rumours may be allowed

  1. ↑ "Australia Discovery and Colonization." Samuel Bennett. The mistake has been repeated by others, but the imputation against Bass seems to be rebutted by the facts detailed in the text. Dr. Lang gave currency to the charges against Bass, but neither he nor others quoted any authority upon the point; whereas the statement in King's despatch must be admitted to be of value if even Bass's written professions could be set aside.
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