A history of King Island in Bass Strait and the role it played during the early 1800s. Lying in the path of the Roaring Forties, it was a hazard for the sailing ships that brought convicts and free settlers to Australia, thus providing rich material for the writer and the reader. The island survived the ruthless Bass Strait sealers who altered the ecology of the island when they terrified the natives and took such a heavy toll of the animal life. Early settlers battled the elements and the primitive living conditions in an effort to wrest a living from their new environment. This volume covers the period from discovery to post-settlement.