EXPLOBATION BY SEA. 171 On the 21st August, 1788, Lieutenant Bligh, then in com- i788-e9 mand of the Bounty, bound to the Society Islands on the bread-fruit mission, anchored in Adventure Bay, on the east g^t^^J*^® coast of Van Diemen's Land, and remained there a fortnight. Adventure taking in wood and water, and endeavouring to obtain some knowledge of the country and its native population. He had seen the bay on a former occasion, when sailing with Captain Cook in the Resolution and Discovery, in January, 1777 ; but he found no sign of any European vessels having been there since their visit. During his stay a number of whales made their appearance in the bay, for several days together. He sailed away from it on the 4th September, after having made a very careful plantation of vegetables, grain, and fruit-trees. Early in May, 1789, Bligh began that portion of his cele- Biigh in the brated voyage in the Bounty's launch which took him along launch the north-east coast of New Holland. On the 27th — a month after he had been put over the ship's side by the mutineers — ^he recorded that we passed much driftwood this fore- noon, and saw many birds ; I, therefore, did not hesitate to pronounce that we were near the reefs of New Holland," — ^known to him as the reefs on which the Endeavour struck The reef, in 1770. His reason for making the coast so far to the south was that he never doubted of numerous openings in the reef, through which he could have access to the shore. On the following day, as we advanced within the reefs, the coast began to show itself very distinctly, in a variety of high and low land." Selecting one or two islands before him for a resting-place, he found a bay and a fine sandy point to land at"; and there they re- mained for two days, recruiting themselves with oysters, wild fruit, and fresh water. Keeping on his course till he had doubled Cape York, on the 3rd of June he arrived at j^J an island which he " found was only a rock where boobies resort, for which reason I called it Booby Island. Here
- Bligh, Voyage to the South Sea, pp. 45-53.
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