m
Governor King at Sydney. It was natural therefore that after the
departure of the French ships, when King heard a rumour that they
intended to take possession of a port in Tasmania,* (* Baie du Nord.) he
should send Acting-Lieutenant Robbins in the Cumberland after the
vessels, who, finding them at anchor at King Island, immediately hoisted
the Union Jack there and daily saluted it during their stay. It was upon
seeing the British flag flying on this island that Baudin is said to have
observed "that the English were worse than the Pope, for whereas he
grasped half the world the English took the whole of it."

Commodore Baudin afterwards wrote to Governor King assuring him that the
rumour as to his intentions was without foundation, but, he added,
"Perhaps he (Robbins) has come too late as for several days before he
hoisted the flag over our tents we had left in prominent parts of the
island (which I still name after you) proofs of the period at which we
visited it." This insinuation evidently raised King's ire, as he made a
note on the margin of the letter, "If Mr. Baudin insinuates any claim of
this visit the island was first discovered in 1798* (* King writes 1799
in the chart.) by Mr. Reid in the Martha and afterwards seen by Mr. Black
in the Harbinger and surveyed by Mr. Murray in February 1802." Baudin
seems to have totally ignored what could not have been a secret at Port
Jackson, namely, the fact that the Lady Nelson had surveyed King Island
from Cape Farewell to Seal Bay.

To return to the story of the logbooks. After another voyage to Norfolk
Island, whither the Lady Nelson conveyed troops to relieve the men there,
Murray was forced to resign his command, the Governor being informed, in
despatches from the Admiralty, that he had sent them an erroneous
statement of his services. In writing to Secretary Nepean, King remarks,
on April 12th, 1803, "I had the honour of receiving yours respecting the
discovery...about Mr. Murray's statement of servitude which appeared in
his passing certificate at the Cape of Good Hope, in consequence of which
he has been superseded in the command of the Lady Nelson and goes home a
passenger in the Glatton. He promises himself being able to clear the
point up to their Lordships' satisfaction. Should he be able to
accomplish this, I consider it but doing common justice to his
perseverance and good conduct while in command of the Lady Nelson to say
that his future services in that v