When at length he returned from Australia, King summed him up in a
sentence: "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 any ways equal to your ability as an officer and a seaman."

Grant left England early in 1800, intending to sail to Australia by the
usual route, making the Cape of Good Hope, and then rounding the south of
Van Diemen's Land. But news of the discovery of Bass Strait was received
after the Lady Nelson had put to sea; and the Admiralty (April, 1800)
sent instructions to reach him at the Cape, directing him to sail through
the strait from the west. This he did. Striking the Australian coast
opposite Cape Banks on December 3rd, 1800, he followed it along past Cape
Otway, thence in a line across to Wilson's Promontory and, penetrating
the strait, was the first navigator to work through it from the far
western side. He attempted no survey, and shortness of water and
provisions deterred him from even pursuing the in-and-out curves of the
shore; but he marked down upon a rough eye-sketch such prominent features
as Mount Gambier, Cape Northumberland, Cape Bridgewater, Cape Nelson,
Portland Bay, Julia Percy Island, and Cape Otway. "I took the liberty of
naming the different capes, bays, etc., for the sake of distinction," he
reported to the Governor on his arrival at Sydney on December 16th.

It was in this way that both Baudin and Flinders were anticipated in the
discovery of the western half of the coast of Victoria. The Investigator
voyage had not been planned when the Lady Nelson sailed; and when
Flinders was commissioned the Admiralty directed that Grant should be
placed under his orders, the brig being used as a tender.

The baffling winds that had delayed Flinders' departure from Kangaroo
Island on April 8th, 1802, continued after he sailed from Encounter Bay,
so that he did not pass the fifty leagues or so first traversed by Le
Geographe for eight tedious days. On April 17th he reached Grant's Cape
Banks; on April 18th passed Cape Northumberland; and on the 19th Capes
Bridgewater, Nelson and Grant. But the south-west gale blew so hard
during this part of the voyage that, the coast trending south-easterly,
it was difficult to keep the ship on a safe course; and Flinders
confessed that he was "glad to miss a small part of the coast." Thick
squally weather prevented the survey being made with safety; and, ind