The brig sailed, with a crew of seventeen all
told, in February, 1800, and arrived on December 16th of the same year,
being the first vessel to pass through Bass' Straits on the way from
England to Australia. On the voyage Grant discovered and named many points
on the Victorian coast-line; then, as soon as the vessel arrived and
received a thorough overhaul, she was sent to sea again to continue the
work in company with a small intercolonial vessel, the _Bee_.
They sailed on March 8th, 1801, and were surveying until May 2nd, when
Grant sums up the work done in these words:--
"We have now gained a complete survey of the coast from Western
Point to Wilson's Promontory, with the situation of the different
islands of the same, and ascertained the latitudes of the same,
which from our different observations we have been able to do
sufficiently correct.... These points being ascertained so far as
lays in our power, I judge it most prudent to make the best of our
way to port, keeping the shore well in sight to observe every
particular hitherto unknown."
The portions left out in this extract refer to the latitudes and
longitudes, which are so correctly given that the only ascertainable
difference between them and the figures in a recent addition of Norrie is
in the case of Wilson's Promontory, which Grant says is [Sidenote: 1801]
in longitude between 146 deg.
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