The last navigator whom we noticed as having added to our knowledge respecting New Holland, was Dampier, who in this portion of the globe, not only discovered the Strait that separates New Guinea from New Britain, but also surveyed the north-west coast of New Holland; and, contrary to the Dutch charts, laid down De Witt’s land as a cluster of islands, and gave it as his opinion that the northern part of New Holland was separated from the lands to the southward by a strait.  Scarcely any thing was added to the geography of this portion of the globe, between the last voyage of Dampier, and the first voyage of Cook.  One of the principal objects of this voyage of our celebrated navigator, was to examine the coast of New Holland; and he performed this object most completely, so far as the east coast was concerned, from the 38th degree of latitude to its northern extremity; he also proved that it was separated from New Guinea, by passing through the channel, which he called after his ship, Endeavour Strait.  In the year 1791, Captain Vancouver explored 110 leagues of the south-west coast, where he discovered King George’s Sound, and some clusters of small islands.  In the same year two vessels were dispatched from France in search of La Peyrouse; in April 1792, they made several observations on Van Dieman’s Land, the south cape of which they thought was separated from the main land; they also discovered a great harbour.  In the subsequent year 1793, they again made the coast of New Holland, near Lewin’s Land, and they ascertained that the first discoveries had been extremely accurate in the latitudes which they had assigned to this part of it.

In consequence of the British forming a settlement at Botany Bay, much additional information was gained, not only regarding the interior of New Holland, in the vicinity of the settlement, but also regarding part of its coast:  the most interesting and important discovery relative to the latter was made towards the end of the year 1797, by Mr. Bass, surgeon of His Majesty’s ship Reliance.  He made an excursion in an open boat to the southward of Port Jackson, as far as 40 degrees of south latitude, and visited every opening in the coast in the course of his voyage:  he observed sufficient to induce him to believe that Van Dieman’s Land was no part of New Holland.  Soon after the return of Mr. Bass, the governor of the English colony sent out him and Captain Flinders, then employed as a lieutenant of one of His Majesty’s ships on the New South Wales station, with a view to ascertain whether Mr. Bass’s belief of the separation of Van Dieman’s Land was well founded.  They embarked on board a small-decked boat of 25 tons, built of the fir of Norfolk island.  In three months they returned to Port Jackson, after having circumnavigated Van Dieman’s Land, and completed the survey of its coasts.  The strait that separates it from New Holland was named by the governor, Bass’s Strait.  The importance of this discovery is undoubted.