The Logbooks of the Lady Nelson

Murray's charts now published are distinctly valuable, as in the fourth volume of the Historical Records of New South Wales, where they should be found, it is stated that they are "unfortunately missing."

On my inquiring at the Admiralty, Mr. Perrin, the Librarian, to whom my cordial thanks are due, made a special search and was fortunate enough to discover them. Thus, after a long separation, Murray's charts and his journal are united again in this volume. Perhaps the most important chart, and the one which should appeal especially to the people of Victoria, is that of Port Phillip showing the track of the Lady Nelson's boat when the brig entered the bay for the first time. Murray's log telling of this discovery ends on March 24th, 1802. In writing later to the Duke of Portland, Governor King says: "The Lady Nelson's return just before I closed my letters enabled me to transmit Acting-Lieutenant Murray's log copies of the discoveries of King Island and Port Phillip. These important discoveries, being combined with the chart of former surveys, I hope will convince your Grace that that highly useful vessel the Lady Nelson has not been idle under my direction." The charts were sent home in charge of Lieutenant Mackellar, who sailed in the ship Caroline on March 30th, 1802, six days after the Lady Nelson's return. Duplicates were forwarded by the Speedy, which left Sydney in June, but a comparison of those at the Admiralty shows that King added nothing further to this second series.

My thanks are also due to Lieutenant Bell, R.N., whose researches have enabled me to publish the charts of the Queensland coast. These old charts cannot fail to interest students of Australian history. It is possible that they do not include all that were sent home at first, nor are the Lady Nelson's logbooks complete; those however of Grant and Murray, Curtoys and Symons, give us the story of the work carried out by those energetic seamen. They are writings worthy of being more widely known, for they are records left by men who sailed uncharted seas along unknown coasts in days which will not come again--men who have helped to give to later generations a spacious continent with a limitless horizon.

IDA LEE.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER 1.

THE LADY NELSON BUILT WITH CENTREBOARDS. HER VOYAGE TO SYDNEY UNDER JAMES GRANT. THE FIRST SHIP TO PASS THROUGH BASS STRAIT.

CHAPTER 2.

RETURNS TO EXPLORE THE STRAIT. HER VISITS TO JERVIS BAY AND TO WESTERN PORT IN 1801.

CHAPTER 3.

COLONEL PATERSON AND LIEUTENANT GRANT SURVEY HUNTER RIVER.

CHAPTER 4.

MURRAY APPOINTED COMMANDER OF THE LADY NELSON. HIS VOYAGE TO NORFOLK ISLAND.

CHAPTER 5.

MURRAY'S EXPLORATION OF BASS STRAIT.

CHAPTER 6.