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course was, against all precedent, detained for six years a prisoner of war by the French Governor of the Mauritius, the record of Baudin’s voyage was published in France, with a claim to the discovery of nearly the whole southern coast of Australia. The Englishman’s work, however, which was subsequently published, gave justice to Grant and himself. When Captain Flinders left the “ Geographe ” in Encounter Bay, he steered to the eastward and entered Port Phillip Bay, April 26th, 1802, one month after Baudin, and ten weeks after Murray. At first he mistook the waters for those of Western Port. Going ashore, he ascended Arthur’s Seat, and afterwards landed upon what he called Indented Head. He watered his ship from a small stream that ran over the beach from Arthur’s Seat. His earliest intercourse with the Indians was a peaceful one. Three of them accepted some European presents and gave their weapons in exchange ; this led the navigator to observe that “it would not be difficult to establish a friendly inter course with the natives.” After an excursion to Station Peak he writes, “ reached the tent much fatigued, having walked more than twenty miles without finding a drop of water.” The English sailor was much pleased with the country. In his report he says, “ the sides of some of the hills and several of the vallies are fit for agricultural purposes though he adds that they were “ better calculated for sheep.” Elsewhere he writes, “ Were a Settlement to be made at Port Phillip, as doubtless there will be some time hereafter, &c.” When he arrived at Sydney, May 8th, he made such representations of the locality, as to induce the Governor to recommend the British Cabinet to establish a penal colony there.
