His Majestys Armed Survey Vessel Lady Nelson was commissioned in 1799 to survey the coast of Australia. At the time large parts of the Australian coast were unmapped and Britain had claimed only part of the continent. The British Government were concerned that, in the event of settlers of another European power becoming established in Australia, any future conflict in Europe would lead to a widening of the conflict into the southern hemisphere to the detriment of the trade that Britain sought to develop. It was against this background that Lady Nelson was chosen to survey and establish sovereignty over strategic parts of the continent.
Lady Nelson left Portsmouth on 18 March 1800 and arrived at Sydney on 16 December 1800 after having been the first vessel to reach the east coast of Australia via Bass Strait. Prior to that date all vessels had sailed around the southern tip of Tasmania to reach their destination.
Lady Nelsons survey work commenced shortly after her arrival at Sydney, initially in the Bass Strait area. She was involved in the discovery of Port Phillip, on the coast of Victoria, in establishing settlements on the River Derwent and at Port Dalrymple in Tasmania, at Newcastle and Port Macquarie in New South Wales, and on Melville Island off the north coast of the continent.
Design, building and commissioning
At the end of the 1790s the New South Wales Colonial Government had no vessels capable of reaching the outside world. Supply (1793) was found to be unseaworthy in 1797 and was subsequently condemned. was also unseaworthy. Reliance was temporarily repaired to enable her to sail back to England, whither she departed in March 1800. The only other vessel under the control of the colonial government was , a schooner of only 44 tons (bm). The situation was partially relieved when arrived in May 1799, but the colony possessed no vessels for exploration and surveying.
In 1799 the Admiralty's Commissioners of Transport (the Transport Board), ordered a cutter of 60 tons (bm), to be built for their own use in the River Thames and called it Lady Nelson. Her design followed that of the armed cutter Trial, built in Plymouth in 1789 to a design developed by Captain (later Admiral) John Schanck [often spelled Schank]. Trial was unusual in that she had three sliding keels, or centre-boards, that the crew could raise or lower individually.
At the time there were several other vessels named Lady Nelson and this has led some authors to write that the vessel that is the subject of this article was employed on other duties before being sent to Australia.
Philip Gidley King, who was in England in 1799, was aware of the lack of vessels in New South Wales, and lobbied for Lady Nelson to be taken over for use in the Colony. The cost to the government was said to be £890.Philip Gidley King (King) to Sir Joseph Banks (Banks), 20 Mar. 1799, ML Banks Papers, Series 39.043. He personally inspected the vessel on 8 October 1799, whilst it was being fitted-out at Deptford, and suggested that:as few seamen know anything about the management of a cutter, her being constructed into a brig would make her more manageable to the generality of seamen. Schanck agreed with this change and the Commissioners of Transport were directed to rig the vessel as a brig, and not as a cutter like the Trial as had been intended.King to John King, Under Secretary of State for the Home Department, 8 Oct 1799, HRNSW, Vol. III, p. 724. John King to Charles Long, Secretary to the Treasury, 10 October 1799, TNA T 1/829 f.3593, and AJCP PRO 3559. Transport Commissioners to John Hunter, Governor of New South Wales 1795 to 1800 (Hunter), 1 Apr. 1800, HRA, Ser. I, Vol. II, pp. 483–484.
The ability to raise the keels was a useful feature for a survey vessel required to work in shallow waters. Lady Nelsons draught was 12 feet when she left England, fully provisioned for her voyage. This draught would halve to six feet when the keels were raised. The keels were of timber construction with no added ballast.
Lady Nelson was built by John Dudman in the dockyard, known as Deadman's Dock, at Grove Street, Deptford. Lady Nelsons first commander was Lieutenant James Grant, the commission of whom came into effect on 19 October 1799.Grant to King, 17 Feb. 1801, HRA, Ser. I, Vol. III, pp. 81–82. Lady Nelson was commissioned:for the purpose of prosecuting the discovery and survey of the unknown parts of the coast of New Holland, and ascertaining, as far as is practicable, the hydrography of that part of the globe.Duke of Portland, Secretary of State for the Home Department 1794 to 1801, (Portland) to The Governor of the Settlement of New South Wales, 26 Feb. 1800, TNA CO 202/5, AJCP PRO 56 and HRA, Ser. I, Vol. II, pp. 498–501.
Philip Gidley King departed for New South Wales in Speedy on 26 Nov 1799 with a despatch recalling the incumbent Governor, John Hunter, who returned to England. King then took over as Governor and subsequently played a key part in the affairs of Lady Nelson after she arrived.
The voyage to Australia Lady Nelson was loaded with sufficient provisions for nine months and enough water for six months, at an allowance of one gallon for each man per day. She was not equipped with a chronometer.
The beginning of the voyage to Australia was recorded by Grant: On 13 January 1800, the Lady Nelson hauled out of Deadman's Dock into the River, having her complement of men, stores, and provisions on board. Lady Nelson reached Gravesend on 16 January, anchored in the Downs on 20 January 1800. After riding out a heavy gale Grant decided to seek shelter in Ramsgate Harbour. Lady Nelson remained there until 7 February, when she sailed for Portsmouth to await a convoy to escort her past the French and Spanish coasts.
Whilst at Portsmouth Lady Nelsons armament, consisting of two brass carriage guns, was increased to six. On 15 March 1800, Captain Schanck, accompanied by Mr. Bayley, of the Royal Academy, Portsmouth, paid Grant a visit.
Many people who saw Lady Nelson did not consider her suitable to undertake such a long voyage and this caused Grant some difficulty in keeping his crew together and finding replacements for those that deserted. The carpenter, who had deserted when leaving Portsmouth, and one other member of the crew were not replaced and one man was put ashore due to illness. When Lady Nelson sailed her complement was probably therefore only three officers and ten crew.
Lady Nelson departed from Dunnose, Isle of Wight, at 6 pm on 18 March.For the departure date see Steel, Jun. 1800; Naval Chronicle, Vol. 3, p. 238; and Grant 1803, p. 4.The convoy consisted of East Indiamen, heading for the East, and , which was also bound for New South Wales.
Shortly after departure it became apparent that Lady Nelson could not keep up with the larger and faster vessels in the convoy. Brunswick therefore took Lady Nelson in tow, but Grant became concerned that the vessel might be strained too much in the heavy seas and therefore, after a couple of days, ordered the hawser to be cast off, preferring to continue the voyage alone.
On 13 April Lady Nelson anchored at Port Praya (Praia), on the island of 'St Jago' (Ilha de Santiago), the largest of the Cape Verde Islands, 26 days after leaving Portsmouth. Whilst there, the keels were inspected and it was found that part of the after keel had broken off, which may have occurred during earlier heavy weather. The missing part of the keel was replaced, a task not made any easier by the lack of a carpenter on board. Before leaving, Grant put his second mate ashore for sowing seeds of discontent amongst the crew, and obtained the Governor's permission to take two young men from the island to supplement his crew. Lady Nelson left Praia on 27 April. The vessel's complement was now three officers and twelve crew.
On 23 May, the weather being fine, Lady Nelsons keels were examined and it was found that the piece that had been fitted to the bottom of the after keel at Praia had broken off. A temporary repair was effected by pushing the keel deeper into the well, and securing it with a plank of wood.
Land was sighted near Table Bay at 5 am on 7 June and Lady Nelson anchored there at 5 pm on 8 June 1800. A shipbuilder from the naval dockyard examined Lady Nelson and as her main and after keels were both found to be beyond repair they were replaced with new ones. Lady Nelson had been troubled by leaks in her topsides since she left England. This was also investigated whilst the vessel was at the Cape, and it was found 'that instead of the seams being filled with oakum they had absolutely substituted putty'.Memorial of Lieut. James Grant, commanding H. M. brig Lady Nelson, to His Excellency Governor King, Sydney Cove, Tuesday, 16 December 1800, HRNSW, Vol. IV, pp. 268–270 and HRA, Ser. I, Vol. III, pp. 60–62.
Two new keels having been fitted, Lady Nelson left Table Bay on 16 June and anchored in Simon's Bay the next day. Already anchored there was Porpoise, which had left Portsmouth in the same convoy as Lady Nelson.
Grant's orders were 'to remain at the Cape till the summer season commenced' so as not to risk his small vessel in the Roaring Forties during the southern hemisphere winter. Grant therefore spent many weeks at the Cape and the observations he made during the period are recorded in his book (Grant 1803).
Whilst at the Cape, Grant received a despatch from London in which he was advised that a navigable strait had recently been discovered between New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania), in latitude 38° south, and the despatch instructed him to: sail through the said strait on your way to Port Jackson, by which means you will not only shorten your voyage, but will have an opportunity of more minutely surveying the said strait.Portland to Grant, 8 Apr. 1800, TNA CO 202/5, AJCP PRO 56 and HRA, Ser. I, Vol. II, p. 501.
Before leaving the Cape, Grant took on board a carpenter and a person named Dr. Brandt. Grant also consented to take on board a Danish seaman, thought to be Jorgen Jorgenson, sentenced at the Cape to transportation, for his involvement in mutinous behaviour on board a recently arrived ship. Lady Nelson left the Cape on 7 October 1800.
The first passage through Bass Strait The south coast of what was then called New Holland was not sighted until Lady Nelson approached the land near the present border between South Australia and Victoria.
Grant recorded first sighting the mainland on 3 December 1800:At 8.00 am I saw the land from the north training as far to the east as east-north-east. The part that was right ahead appearing like unconnected islands, being four in number, distant six or seven leagues. At noon I observed, being in with the land, our latitude to be 38° 10' S. longitude, by account, 142° 30' E. which according to my best judgement, after looking over my reckoning, I allowed the western point of land Cape Banks to lay in 142° E. From the distance I was from the shore, and observing in 38° 10', I make Cape Banks to lie in 38° 4' S.
Grant observed two capes and two high mountains a considerable way inshore. Grant named the first of these mountains after Captain Schanck (since renamed Mount Schank), and the other Gambier's Mountain. The western cape he called Cape Banks and the second, eastern cape, he called Cape Northumberland. The actual position of Cape Banks is longitude . The discrepancy in longitude would have resulted, at least in part, by the absence of a chronometer on Lady Nelson.
During the succeeding days, as Lady Nelson approached Bass Strait, Grant made numerous observations and named several geographic features along the southern coast of the continent.