iscovered the
country now called Victoria. After sailing along the Ninety-mile Beach,
he saw high land to the south-west; and, standing out towards it,
discovered the bold headland which was afterwards named Wilson's
Promontory. Bad weather drove him to seek for shelter, and this led to
the discovery of Western Port, where he remained thirteen days. But as
his provisions were running short, he was forced, with a heavy heart, to
turn homeward. He had again to seek shelter, however, from strong head
winds, and in doing so discovered what is called Corner Inlet. In all he
prolonged his voyage to eleven weeks, before he again reached Sydney:
during that time he had explored six hundred miles of coast, and had
discovered four important bays, as well as what is perhaps the most
important cape in Australia. His greatest service, however, was the
proof that Van Diemen's Land is not joined to Australia, but is divided
from it by the wide strait to which Bass's name is now so justly given.
All this, effected in an open whaleboat on a great ocean, may well fill
us with admiration for the courage and skill of the young surgeon.

#5. Flinders.#--When Flinders returned from Norfolk Island, he obtained
leave to join the next vessel that should start for the wreck of the
_Sydney Cove_. Having arrived at Furneaux Island, during the time that
the wreckage and remaining cargo were being gathered, he obtained the
loan of a small boat for five days, and in it made careful surveys of
the islands and straits to the north of Van Diemen's Land. It was in
this trip that he made the first discovery of that peculiar Australian
animal, the wombat.

#6. Circumnavigation of Van Diemen's Land.#--Next year (1798) Governor
Hunter gave to the two ardent young men a small sloop--the _Norfolk_--in
which to prosecute their discoveries. They received three months' leave
of absence, in which time they proposed to sail round Van Diemen's Land.
This they did, and discovered during their voyage the river Tamar and
its estuary, Port Dalrymple. It was not in discovery alone that they
were successful. Flinders made the most beautiful and exact charts of
all the coasts; he sometimes spent whole days in careful and laborious
observations and measurements, in order to have the latitude and
longitude of a single place correctly marked.

#7. Fate of Bass.#--On their return to Sydney Bass met some friends,
who persuaded him to join them in making their fortune by