A despatch from Hunter to the British Government in January, 1798, shows that at that time she was still being patched up.

Flinders recorded that "the great repairs required by the Reliance would not allow of my absence," but that "my friend Mr.Bass, less confined by his duty, made several excursions." Finally, it was on December 3rd, 1797, while the refitting was in progress, that Bass started out on the adventurous voyage which led to the discovery of the stretch of water separating Tasmania from the mainland of Australia.

But for the work on the Reliance, there cannot be the shadow of a doubt that Flinders would have been with him.

Duty had to be done, however; the "ugly commanded work," in which, as the sage reminds us, genius has to do its part in common with more ordinary mortals, made demands that must take precedence of adventurous cruising along unknown coasts.

So it was that the cobbling of a debilitated tub separated on an historic occasion two brave and loyal friends whose names will be thought of together as long as British people treasure the memory of their choice and daring spirits..