Letter received by Banks from Philip Gidley King, April, 21August 1801 (Series 39.064) - No. 0004

[Page 4]

relief to Norfolk Island and the Lady Nelson required much re equipment before I could dispatch her, which could not be completed before 5th April: The order I gave her commander, was to ascertain the anchoring places in Kents Group, to fix the exact situation of the Islands lying off to the S.E. of Wilsons promontory.

To examine if Western Port was a place of Safety for a Ship, to examine a deep inlet or Bay named by him after me; (altho I have pretty good authority for supposing that it is only a deep Bay) and then to examine the Island lying at the west entrance of the Straits, after which if the weather would admit of it, to explore as much of the SW Coast as he could. The constant heavy gales of Wind he had at S.W & West, prevented him from continuing his discoveries, further then ascertaining the Survey of Western Port, & connecting it with Wilsons promontory, which was done & indeed is as much as I expected at this Season of the Year, nor should I have sent him out before September next, but that I did not like the Idea of his lying Idle so long; and as it is, he has fixed the existence of a safe & commodious harbour for vessells of any kind - which is a [indecipherable] for him [indecipherable], in his next Cruize.