A small vessel, the Lady Nelson of 60 tons, built on a particular construction, sailed from England un der the command of Limitenant Grant, in March 1800, on a voyage of discovery to the Australasian shores. In December, she made the coast of New Holland, where a fine fertile looking country came in view, covered with trees in some places down to the water's edge. Lieutenant Grant followed the coast from 38° S. latitude, and longitude 14.1° 20' E. through Bass's Straits to Botany Bay ; and fixed the geographical position of several islands and head lands, which he discovered in the route. In March 1801 he sailed from Sydney Cove, and made an accurate survey of the coast from Western Point, in latitude 38° 32' S., and longitude 146° 19' E. to Wilson's promontory, a great cape stretching twenty miles into the sea. This cape, which is the most southern point of New Holland, was•discovered by the Captain of an East Iudiaman. In May 1801, the Lady Nelson made a voyage to the northward of this settlement to Coal River. Abundance of coals appeared on a spot covered by low grass for many acres ; and they could also be gathered on the shore at low water. Copper aril iron ore were likewise discovered. Peculiar circumstances, it would appear, opposed to Lieutenant Grant's own opinion, prevent ed the further extension of the survey in which he was employed.
Here we•have given but brief abstracts of the dis coveries by English navigators, while accounts by those of foreign nations are more detailed, from being less accessible. Certain it is, however, that no voyages, if viewed with the strictest impartiality,can becompared with the expeditions which sail from our own country. This decided superiority of the English, their settle ments, and discoveries in Australasia, excited the emu lation of the French. An expedition was, therefore, planned with the utmost care, chiefly forthe purpose of exploring the Australasian regions. Its•object was great and comprehensive, perhaps attempting to em brice, in the course of a short and limited period, what might more reasonably have been the operations of many successive years. First the southern part of Van Diemen's Land was to be approached ;- Cape doubled; D'Entrecasteaux harbour examined; all the rivers that could be found were to be navi gated ; and the whole eastern coast of this great island surveyed. After an examination of Bass's straits, and Hunter's isles, it was proposed to run along the south-west coast of New Holland, to ilenetrate be hind the islands of St Peter and St Francis, where the existence of a strait reaching to the gug of Car pentaria was suspected. The position of:Lewin's, Edel's, and Endracht's land was to be fixed, and Swan's river to the utmost atent : the Abrolhosi where l elsart was wrecked; Shark's bay, De Witt's land, King William's river, the Romarin islands, were to be minutely inspected ; and this part of the voyage was to terminate at Cape North West. The future object of the expedition, so far as respects Australasia, was a survey of the coast Of New Guinea, and a search for the strait supposed to divide it into two equal parts consisting of se veral islands. Next advancing by Endeavour straits, it was to reach the eastern point of the great gulf of Carpentaria ; to visit the mouths of the many rivers which were said to discharge themselves into it: then traversing Arnheim's and North Van Diemen's Larrd, to terminate the second part of the voyage also at Cape North-West. Having completed these exten sive operations, the expedition was to navigate the Indian ocean, determine the longitude of Tryal islands, and then proceed to the Isle of France.
Though we are yet but partially acquainted with the whole result of this expedition, we shall briefly relate some of the particulars, which have recently come to our knowledge. Two vessels, the Geo grapher and Naturalist, sailed in October 1800, from Havre de Grace. Much was to be expected from the scientific department ; for the French pay ing infinitely more attention to it than the British go vernment had done in the later voyages of discovery, sentout no less than 23 individuals, well qualified in all the different branches of science. The vessels made Cape Lewin, the most western point of New Holland, in latitude 34° 7' 50" S. in the end of May 1801, where the lands were dark, low, and sandy. Endracht's land they found sterile, and surrounded by reefs: then entering Shark's bay, they landed on Bernier's island, which was among their earliest discoveries. The sub• stance of the island is chiefly calcareous, with shells, principally univalves, incrusted in masses of rock, sometimes 150 feet above the level of the sea. Vege tation, from the nature of the soil, was low and lan guishing; a kind of fig-tree, with fruit hardly larger than a nut, and several small odoriferous mimosa:, were seen ; also a sort of spinifex, consisting of in numerable sharp, slender leaves, dangerous to touch for wounding the flesh. It grows in the most arid places, is easily- decomposed from the multiplicity of spines, and in this decomposition is the essential -source of the soil of the island. The striped kan garoo, the most beautiful of its singular race, swarm ed' here, as well as on two neighbouring islands.
Some young ones were taken, but all of them died except one, which lived .until the expedition reached Timor, when it perished by accident. The French, after anchoring in Dampier's bay, behind a peninsula, which had hitherto been supposed an island, saw King William's river. It issues from a sterile region ; and, from its confined and dangerous entrance, they concluded that it was of much lessimportance than had been represented. Seven low, barren, sandy islands were then discovered, which the French called the Rivoli islands, to perpetuate one of their victories : and the north-west Cape of New Holland, from which projects an extensive reef, with a sea violent ly breaking on it, they named Cape Murat. At Cape Murat, De Witt's land commences, and ex tends to the north cape of this immense continent, thus comprehending a tract of 10° in latitude, and 15° in longitude. It is supposed to have been discovered by a Dutch navigator in the year 1616, 1623, or 1628. The French now discovered a great archipe lago ;. the islands composing which, in general, ap peared barren, and many of them encompassed by rocks and shoals. Incredible dangers here assailed them : the vessels were driven towards the breakers white with foam ; while the calms which prevailed, interrupting their manoeuvres, increased the difficul ties of an intricate navigation. In the course of it, Dampier's observations concerning the fineness of the weather, and the singular serenity of the heavens, were The air had never appeared so pure and so free of vapours and humidity. Few of these islands
were of large size; some were basaltic, and seemingly of volcanic origin ; others, sandy, white, and sterile, rose under a thousand different shapes, several of them resembling immense antique tombs. Names were bestowed on a great number, as Forbin, Com merson, Colbert, Buffon, Cassini, Bernouilli, La Place ; and' the whole were comprehended under the deno mination of Bonaparte's Archzpelago. Disease had already begun to make ravages in the vessels, which forced their commanders to leave the Australasian regions to recruit their strength at Timor. After residing some months at that island, they made D'En trecasteaux's straits in 62 days on their return. The discovery of these straits they consider the most re markable and important of any connected with Van Diemen's Land: whence they were judged deserving of the greater notice. Thirty-six days were occu pied in observations, during which many acquisitions were made to natural history ; and several geogra phical errors corrected. Tasman's isle proved only to be a peninsula ; but they found D'Entrecasteaux's geographical labours. so perfect, that nothing could exceed them. Departing thence, Maria's island, discovered by Schouten in 1642, was surveyed. It is situated in 42° 42' of S. latitude ; consists chiefly of two kinds of granite, and is covered in a great mea sure with marshes interspersed with rocks and sand. Opposite to Cape Peron is a solitary rock of granite 150 or 200 feet high : and. a large portion of the island is surrounded by lofty walls of granite, of 300 or 400 feet in with vast caverns penetrating into their bases. he natives of the island colour their hair from a mine of a kind of oxide of iron : and go entirely except in a kangaroo skin hanging over their shoulders. Among the terrestrial main miferx, only a single species of dasyura, the size of a mouse, was seen. Numerous troops of dolphins, ; cctacea, and phocx, lined the shores; the last of which are of infinite consequence in the consideration of Maria's island. Other observations confirmed the accuracy of Tatman and Captain Flinders, and point ed out a remarkable number of isthmuses proceeding from the land. Schouten's islands were all, except one, found for the first time to be so many peninsu las connected by mountainous tracts to the main land. Few appearances more singular than this island are presented by the Australasian regions. It consists• solely of lofty black mountains, divided by deep val lies ; the eastern side is absolutely naked, without the smallest traces of verdure ; and several parts of the summit rise into granitic points, resembling so many columns raised by the hands of men. The French next traversing the east coast of Van Diemen's Land, entered Bass's straits. There, after naming many islets, and recognising Furneaux's islands, they' fixed the situation of Wilson's promontory at 39° 10' 30" S. latitude. Captain Grant had made it 39° 2', and Captain Flinders 38° 57'; but the observations which carry it 17' farther west, are nearest the truth. From Wilson's promontory on the south, to Cape Lewin on the west, is an extent of 900 leagues : the only part of which that had been sin-. veyed previous to the arrival of the French, was from Cape Lewin to St Francis and.St Peter's islands, on the eastern boundary of Nuytz' land. The English. not having continued their investigation beyond Port Western, all the tract intervening betwem it and Nuytz' land was unknown. The French, in sailing 944 miles along the coast, from Wilson's promontory, found bays, reefs, shoals, and islands, before covered. A great gulf, penetrating above 100 miles into the continent, was named Josephine's Gulf, and opposite to it an island 210 miles in circuit, Decres'. Island. A vast gulf next appeared, the opening of which resembled the mouth of a large river. It pe netrated above 200 miles-into the land, and contained harbours and. islands within its bounds. This was called Bonaparte's Guy. The French then traver sed a. coast by them named Napoleon's land, and in the course of their run discovered 160 islands, all very low, and of a grey, yellow, whitish, or black colour. Nearly the whole were of the most repulsive aridity ; their surface was encrusted with dingy lich ens ; few exhibited a tree or shrub ; fresh water scarce ly existed in any of them ; and they yvere entire ly uninhabited. It was further ascertained, that the expectations so long entertained of a river behind the isles of St Francis and St Peter, dividing New Hol land to the gulf of Carpentaria, were delusive. Forty three days were occupied in surveying Napoleon's land ; and the French affirm that, in the coarse of their navigation from Wilson's promontory to Cape Fare well on the west, they saw above a thousand leagues of coast, including bays and islands, But their re searches were baffled by a succession of tempests: rocks and shoals threatened them on every side, and fre quently interrupted the progress of investigation. At length the failure of provisions and sickness among the crew, constrained. them to think of seeking relief in some port of Australasia. In May 1802 they stood for Port Jackson, sailing round by the. south of Van Diemen's Land, instead of passing Bass's straits. Fluted Cape, they remarked, consisted of lofty reddish basaltic columns, rising 500 feet above the level of the sea, and forming an enormous cause way, against which the waves broke furiously from the south. Such basaltic appearances, both there and in other Australasian islands, were considered the more singular, a< no volcanic substances were recog nised in their vicinity. In Adventure bay, the rude aspect of Fluted Cape suddenly changes; a calm instead of a tumultuous sea prevails ; the shores are covered with beautiful trees and shrubs ; and thick forests clothe the very summits of the mountains. Mean time the scurvy made the most deplorable ravages in the vessels, and on board the Geographer there were only four men who could keep the deck : On approaching the English settlements, their manoeuvres betrayed the weakness of the crew, whence the go vernor sent out assistance to bring them into port. Here the French made a considerable stay : one ves sel was sent home, and the other, accompanied by a small bark, resumed her voyage of discovery in 1803 and 130•. Detailed accounts of this voyage have not yet reached this country ; but we have reason to expect that they will prove highly interesting to men of science.