PRIOR DISCOVERIES IN TERRA AUSTRALIA
SECTION IV.
EAST COAST, WITH VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.
PART II
Preliminary Information. Boat Expeditions of Bass and Flinders. Clarke. Shortland. Discoveries of Bass to the southward of Port Jackson; of Flinders; and of Flinders and Bass. Examinations to the northward by Flinders. Conclusive Remarks.
The year 1788 will ever be a memorable epoch in the history of
Preliminary
Information.
Terra Australis. On Jan. 18, captain (now vice-admiral) Arthur
Philip arrived in Botany Bay, with His Majesty's brig Supply; and
was followed by the Syrius, captain John Hunter, six sail of transports,
and three store ships. The purpose of this armament was to
establish a colony in New South Wales, over which extensive
country captain Philip was appointed Governor and Captain-general.
Botany Bay proved to be an unfavourable situation for the new colony;
it was, therefore, abandoned in favour of Port Jackson, which lies
three leagues to the northward, and was found to be oNe of the finest
harbours in the world.
A history of this establishment at the extremity of the globe, in a country where the astonished settler sees nothing, not even the grass under his feet, which is not different to whatever had before met his eye, could not but present objects of great interest to the European reader; and the public curiosity has been gratified by the perusal
of various respectable publications, wherein the proceedings of the