every inlet," and at the extreme westerly point attained,
- ' found an open ocean ^tvestward, and by the nioiintamous
sea which rolled from that quarter, and no land discover- able in that direetion, we have much reason to conclude that there is an open strait through.*' Want of provisions compelled Bass to turn back from the " very good harbour,*' Western Port, he had found. Bad weather had impeded the cruise, or Bass with bis whale- boat would probably have discovered Port Phillip, At Western Port he was compelled to repair his battered boat. Betuming, he found on an islatul seven white men, part of a gang of fom*teen convicts who had escaped from Sydney in a boat. ** These poor distressed wretches were chiefly Irifth," Their companions bad treacherously abandoned them. Bass could neither give them room in his boat nor spare much food. He put them on the mainland, gave them a musket, ammunition, a pocket compass, fishing lines, and hooks. Two who were ill he received into the boat. He advised the five to follow the coast in order to obtain food more easily. He shared his provisions with them." When they parted with Mr. Bass "' and his crew% who gave them what clothes they could spare, some tears were shed on both sides."
- After an absence of twelve weeks/' Bass (24th Feb.
1798) delivered to Himter his observations on this adven- turous expedition . ' ' About the same time a vessel, the Sifdn^i/ Cove, was wTecked on Preservation Island, in the Furneaux group, and Hunter sent Lieut. Flinders of the HeUance in the colonial schooner Francis, w^hich was commissioned to save property from the wreck. Flinders, wistfully looking westward, persuaded the master ** to make a stretch westward so aa to solve the doubts about the unknown latitudes (of Bass's Straits), but, **the schooner not being at his disposal," vas fain to return where, on the 9th March 1708, the exploit of Bass was made laiown to liira. In after years he wrote thus of his friend : — '* A voyage eji'j^ressly undertaken for discovery in an open boat, and in which six hundred miles of coast was explored, has not perhaps its equal in the annals of maritime history. The pubhe will award to its high-spirited and able conductor— I
