Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/402

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His certificate from King Bass sailed in Februaiy, stated that "Mr. C4ef>rge Baas, of the brigantine Venus, has been employed since the iBt da.Y of Nov., 1H01» upon Hia Britannic Majesty's serice/in procuring provisioDs, and still continues those exertions, ifow shoitkl iie, in order to avoid a long and prcjcarions rcBearcb amongst the islands of the Pacific , Ocean, find it expedient to resort to any harbour or port in His Catholic Majesty's dominions upon the west coast of America^ this instrument it intended to declare my fidl belief that bia sole objeet in going will be to procure animal food und live stock for breeding, which the colony is much in want of. ... I have therefore lo ref]ine8t that all Governors or Commanders-in-Chief of any of the ports or places in His Catholic Majeflty'H territories, where the aforesaid Mr, (leorge Kasis may happen to toncb, will not only afford him their countenance and protection, bnt also assist him so far as may be consistent with their in«trnetion». . » , ^■ (3i'd Feb. 1803)/" H A shipping hst informs us that Bass sailed on the 5th of™ Teb., comforted, we niaj hope, bj the thought that the Governor was not oee of those from whom he had met '* unparalleled neglect/' As regards Bass, King's despatches tell little more. He warned Lord Hobart in May 1803, V and doubtless had discussed with Bass the *' hazard ofl commercial enterprise'* on the west coast of America. On the 1st March 1804, he wrote, ** After twelve months' absence he is not yet returned, which makes me appre-j beiisive for his safet}^" In April he wrote* *'I almost I give up hopes of seeing Mr, Bass, who I begin to conjecture has met with some accident." The rest is silence. The gallant explorer is heard of no more. , Kumour, blown by surmiseB, jealousies, conjee ttu*es,"i assigned various crimes and deaths to Bass. Because M, Peron wrote that he saw in Sydney, in 1802, armed vessels ^'intended for contraband trade*' with Peru, one historian tells that, '*in one of these vessels Mr. Bass risked his fortunes and his life;"®® that he was taken prisoner and] sent to the mines; and that his death was variously] ascribed to hardships in captivity, and to shipwreck in an i attempt to escape. Contradictory rumours may be allowed J "* '* Australia Discovery and Colonization." Samuel Bennett* The mistake has been repeated by others, but the imputation against Bass seems to be rebutted by the facts detailed iu the text. l»r, Lang gave currenc3^ to the charges against Bass, but neither he nor others rpioted anyi authority upon the point; wherea.a the statement in King's dfcKpatch mofil^ 1m5 admitted to be of value if even Bass's written professions eould Ixj set aside.