In 1814 (Terra Australis, by M.
Flinders, South Coast, Sheet 5) is inscribed, "Coast as far as Cape
Schanck discovered by Captain James Grant, 1800," in which track, of
course, is included the entrance to Port Phillip, although Flinders knew
that Grant had not penetrated to the bay itself.
Grant sailed from Sydney in the Anna Josepha, Captain Maclean, an old
Spanish brig, belonging to Mr. Simeon Lord. She had been taken off the
coast of Peru by the Betsy whaler, and on her arrival at Sydney was
renamed Anna Josepha in honour of the Governor's wife. Loaded with coals
and spars, the ship left Port Jackson for the Cape of Good Hope on
November 9th, 1801. She steered southward of New Zealand, made Cape Horn,
and then sailed to the Falklands. Grant quitted her when she reached
Tristan D'Acunha and obtained a passage in the Ocean as far as Table Bay.
There he shipped on April 12th, 1802, in H.M.S. Imperieuse for England,
where he arrived safely, and, in due course, reported himself to the
Admiralty.
Three years later he obtained his rank of Commander on January 12th,
1805, with a pension for gallantry in a spirited action off Holland, when
in command of the Hawke cutter he was badly wounded. He subsequently
commanded the Raven and Thracian and died at St. Servan in 1833, aged 61.
CHAPTER 4.
MURRAY APPOINTED COMMANDER OF THE LADY NELSON: HIS VOYAGE TO NORFOLK
ISLAND.
On Grant's resigning the command of the Lady Nelson, Governor King
appointed John Murray to succeed him. As has been told Murray had
formerly been Master's mate of the Porpoise and had accompanied Grant
when he went for the second time to try and explore Governor King's Bay,
and the Governor apparently thought him a capable officer. His
appointment is dated September 3rd, 1801, so that he seems to have taken
over the new post about two months before his predecessor finally left
Sydney.
When, however, the Lady Nelson sailed to the Hawkesbury in September to
load the settlers' grain and to bring it to Sydney, Grant appears to have
been still on board her, as he was enjoined to ensure her safety at that
place by Governor King. "You are not to leave the vessel yourself or
suffer any other person to leave her while in the river nor let any
strangers or visitors go on board...Your board netting is to be kept up
while in the river." King evidently was determined to guard against the
capture of the brig by runaway convicts, a fate which had overtaken the
Norfolk. Murray succeeded to the command of the brig on her return from
this Hawkesbury trip. His first voyage was to Norfolk Island, when he
carried orders and instructions from the Governor of New South Wales to
Major Foveaux, the Lieutenant-Governor.
