Sketch of Van Diemen Land, Explored by Captn. Furneaux in March 1773.

The first edition of the earliest British chart of Van Diemen’s land by Tobias Furneaux, from the account of Cooks second voyage.

They had set sail on July 1772, Cook on the Resolution and Furneaux on the Adventure. The ships were separated in fog on 8 February 1773, consequently Furneaux made for the agreed rendezvous, at Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand. Enroute Furneaux directed his course for Van Diemen’s Land, sighting South West Cape on 9 March and becoming the first English vessel to retrace Tasman’s 1642 discoveries.

Sailing north on 15 March, Furneaux named St Patrick’s Head, St Helen’s Point, Bay of Fires and Eddystone Point, all on 17 March. Next day he noted ‘the land trenches away to the westward, which I believe forms a deep bay‘; it was, in fact, the entrance to Banks Strait. On this day islands were sighted, the land high and rocky, and the south-eastern point was named Cape Barren. He considered investigating whether a strait lay westward but decided to rejoin his commander and on 19 March the vessel ‘haul’d up for New Zealand’. Furneaux later declared that ‘it is my opinion that there is no strait between New Holland and Van Diemen’s Land’, a view he persuaded Cook to accept.

Adventure and Resolution were united in New Zealand in May 1773 and in August Furneaux re-visited Tahiti where the Tahitian Omai was taken on board. The vessels were again separated in October and Furneaux returned to England, arriving at Spithead in July 1774.

From, Cook, A Voyage Towards the South Pole, and Round the World, performed in His Majesty’s Ships the Resolution and Adventure, In the Years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775.

Tasmanian coastal features named by Furneaux:

Mutton Bird Isld 
9.3.1772. Descriptive of the type of birds seen in abundance here.
South West Cape 
9.3.1773. Its location in relation to the rest of Tasmania.
Mewstone 
9.3.1773. rocks there resembled mewstone.
Prion Bay 
9.3.1773. The bay is a breeding ground for the Antarctic prion (Pachyptila desolata) and Fairy prion (Pachyptila turtur).
South East Cape 
9.3.1773. Its position.
Swilly Islds 
11.3.1773. After the home town of Furneaux, near Plymouth.
Eddystone Rock 
3.1773. Resembled a lighthouse, which reminded Furneaux of eddystone Lighthouse in England.
Adventure Bay 
11.3.1773. Named after HMS Adventure, which was anchored there. Named Storm Bay by Tasman, 1.12.1642, as he sheltered here during a storm on previous day. Map makers incorrectly marked present day Storm Bay as the place where Tasman sheltered and the name has been retained.
Wineglass Bay 
17.3.1773. Its shape.
St Patricks Head 
17.3.1773. Discovered on St Patrick’s Day.
St Helens Pt / St Helens Isld 
17.3.1773. Believed to be taken from St Helen’s, an uninhabited island in the Isles of Scilly. These islands, which form an archipelago off the south-westernmost tip of the United Kingdom, are near Furneaux’s birthplace, Swilly.
Bay of Fires 
18.3.1773. Many fires seen along this shore.
Eddystone Point 
18.3.1773. Resembled a lighthouse, which reminded Furneaux of eddystone Lighthouse in England. Named Fleurieu Pt by Baudin, 28.2.1802, after Charles Claret de Fleurieu (1689-1755), French philosopher and publisher.
Lookout Heads 
9.3.1773. Used as a lookout.
Admiralty Channel 
9.3.1773. After The British Admiralty, Furneaux’s employer.
Cape Barren Island 
9.3.1773. The island upon which Cape Barren was located.
Cape Barren 
9.3.1773. It appearance.
Cone Pt 
9.3.1773. Furneaux. It appearance.
Passage Isld 
9.3.1773. Furneaux. its location in a passage.
Furneaux Group 
9.3.1773. Cook. Its discoverer and expedition leader, Tobias Furneaux.
Long Pt 
9.3.1773. Its shape.
Hummock Isld 
9.3.1773. Its shape.
Endeavour Reef 
Possibly named after Cook’s vessel for his second voyage of discovery, HMS Endeavour. Captain Cook and William Bligh visited the area in March 1776 on James Cook’s third and final voyage of discovery in the Resolution and Discovery.
Sister Islands (East and West) 

19.3.1773. Two similar islands.s.