of natural history from this country at large and the geography of Van Diemen’s Land.  The south and south-west coast, as well as the north-west and north coast, were his particular objects.  It does not appear by his orders that he was at all instructed to touch here, which I do not think he intended if not obliged by distress.  With all this openness on his part, I could only have general ideas on the nature of their visit to Van Diemen’s Land.  I communicated it to Mons’r Baudin, who informed me that he knew of no idea that the French had of settling on any part or side of this continent.  They had not been gone more than a few hours when a general report was circulated that it had been the conversation of the French officers that Mons’r Baudin had orders to fix on a place for a settlement at Van Diemen’s Land, and that the French, on receiving his accounts, were to make an establishment at ‘Baie du Nord,’ which, you will observe, in D’Entrecasteaux’s charts is what we call ‘Storm Bay Passage,’ and the French ‘Canal D’Entrecasteaux.’  It seemed one of the French officers had given Colonel Paterson a chart, and described the intended spot.”

So King sent for the colonel, and then,

“without losing an instant, a colonial vessel was immediately equipped and provided with as many scientific people as I could put into her, and despatched after Mons’r Baudin.  The instruction I gave the midshipman who commanded her was to examine Storm Bay Passage and leave His Majesty’s colours flying there with a guard, and that it was my intention to send an establishment there by the Porpoise.  This order, you will observe, was a blind, and as such was to be communicated to Mons’r Baudin, as my only object was to make him acquainted with the reports I had heard, and to assure him and his masters that the King’s claim would not be so easily given up.  The midshipman in the Cumberland had other private orders not to go to Storm Bay Passage, but to follow the French ships as far as King’s Island, and that he was to make the pretext of an easterly wind forcing him into the straits, and as he was enjoined to survey King’s Island and Port Phillip, that service he should perform before he went to Storm Bay Passage.

“This had the desired effect.  He overtook Geographe and Naturaliste at King’s Island the day the Naturaliste parted company with the Geographe on the former returning to France, and as an officer of the colony was going passenger in her, the mid. was instructed to give him privately a packet for the Admiralty and Lord Hobart, in which, I believe, was one for you.  These letters contained the particulars.  The mid. was received by Mons’r Baudin with much kindness.  In the latter’s answer to me he felt himself rather hurt at the idea that ’had such an intention on his part existed, that he should conceal it.’  However, he put it on the most amicable footing,