boat
to Colonel Paterson I took that opportunity of sending off my New
Hollander with directions that he should be landed on the precise spot
from whence he was taken...When the first mate was returning he was
surprised to find his passenger of the day before on the banks, who
begged to be permitted to return to the vessel with him; he had a young
lad with him whom he desired might accompany him and they were both
brought on board. This lad made me understand that he wished to have a
mogo and I soon found that I could not make a more acceptable present to
a native...

"On the 19th we were rejoined by Colonel Paterson with the whole of his
party. The Colonel had explored a branch of the river on the banks of
which he found a species of flax growing which he thought was valuable.
He had collected specimens of many rare and uncommon plants particularly
some varieties of fern, but unfortunately was deprived of the fruits of
his industry. His servant had made use of the bundle of plants as a
pillow and having placed it too near the fire it was soon in a blaze, and
he was awaked only in time to save his face from being scorched...

"We were now growing short of provisions and no vessel arriving from
Sydney we set about making preparations for our return thither. There was
now a small establishment made for the colliers.* (* At Collier's Point.)
I had built them a convenient hut to shelter them. I left them a boat and
seine with what provisions I was able to spare. We took our departure for
Sydney on the 22nd of July 1801, and arrived there on the 25th."

Six weeks after his return to port, Grant sent in his resignation on the
ground that he had so "little knowledge of nautical surveying." The
resignation was accepted by King, who wrote in reply: "I should have been
glad if your ability as a surveyor or being able to determine the
longitude of the different places you might visit was in anyway equal to
your ability as an officer or a seaman."

A very slight perusal of Grant's narrative of his voyage enables us to
grasp the state of his feelings when he sent in his resignation. It is
evident that he thought he had not been treated fairly, and was glad to
quit New South Wales. He writes of his departure: "The mortifications and
disappointments I met with...induced me to seize the first opportunity of
leaving the country." And it seems possible that when he told King that
he had no knowledge of "nautical surveying," he said so