The History of Australian Exploration from 1788 to 1888 Part 36

"IN THE OLD DUTCH CHARTS, CAPE VANDERLIN IS REPRESENTED TO BE A GREAT PROJECTION FROM THE MAINLAND, AND THE OUTER ENDS OF NORTH AND WEST ISLANDS TO BE SMALLER POINTS OF IT. THERE ARE TWO INDENTS OR BIGHTS MARKED BETWEEN THE POINTS WHICH MAY CORRESPOND TO THE OPENING BETWEEN THE ISLANDS, BUT I FIND A DIFFICULTY IN POINTING OUT WHICH ARE TILE FOUR SMALL ISLES LAID DOWN ON THE WEST OF CAPE VANDERLIN; NEITHER DOES THE LINE OF THE COAST, WHICH IS NEARLY W.S.W. IN THE OLD CHART, CORRESPOND WITH THAT OF THE OUTER ENDS OF THE ISLANDS, AND YET THERE IS ENOUGH OF SIMILITUDE IN THE WHOLE TO SHOW THE IDENt.i.tY. WHETHER ANY CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THESE Sh.o.r.eS, AND MADE ISLANDS OF WHAT WERE PARTS OF THE MAINLAND A CENTURY AND A HALF BEFORE--OR WHETHER THE DUTCH DISCOVERER MADE A DISTANT AND CURSORY EXAMINATION, AND BROUGHT CONJECTURE TO AID HIM IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CHART, AS WAS TOO MUCH THE PRACTICE OF THAT TIME-IT IS NOT NOW POSSIBLE TO ASCERTAIN, BUT I CONCEIVE THAT THE GREAT ALTERATION PRODUCED IN THE GEOGRAPHY OF THESE PARTS BY OUR SURVEY, GIVES AUTHORITY TO APPLY A NAME WHICH, WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE ORIGINAL ONE, SHOULD MARK THE NATION BY WHICH THE SURVEY WAS MADE. I HAVE CALLED THE Cl.u.s.tER OF ISLANDS SIR EDWARD PELLEW GROUP."

As no marked change has taken place since Flinders' survey, we may conclude that his last conclusion is the right one, and that a great deal in conjecture was brought to bear on the construction of the chart.

Still following the bend of the gulf, Flinders next ascertained that Cape Maria was only an island (Maria Island) and so with many points up to the northern termination of the Gulf. Along part of the southern and most western sh.o.r.e of Carpentaria many indications of the Malay visits were found--sc.r.a.ps of bamboo, rude stone fireplaces, and stumps of mangrove trees, cut down with iron axes. When amongst the English Company's Islands, a fleet of proas was met with, fis.h.i.+ng for trepang. A friendly interview was obtained with them, and from the chief, Poba.s.soo, Flinders learnt that this was the sixth or seventh voyage that he had made to the Australian coast. He had a great horror of the pigs on board the INVESTIGATOR, but a decided liking for the port wine with which he was regaled.

The state of his vessel now decided Flinders to relinquish the survey, thinking himself fortunate in having escaped any heavy weather.

"We had continued the survey of the coast for more than one-half of the six months the master and carpenter had judged the s.h.i.+p might run without much risk, provided she remained in fine weather, and no accidents happened; and the remainder of the time being not much more than necessary for us to reach Port Jackson, I judged it imprudent to continue the investigation longer. In addition, the state of my own health, and that of the s.h.i.+p's company, were urgent to terminate the examination here ... . It was, however, not without much regret that I quitted the coast ... . The accomplishment of the survey was, in fact, an object so near my heart, that could I have foreseen the train of ills that were to follow the decay of the INVESTIGATOR, and prevent the survey being resumed-and had my existence depended upon the expression of a wish--I do not know that it would have received utterance."

Thinking himself fortunate in escaping any heavy weather, he sailed for Coepang, and from there to Port Jackson.

In July, 1803, in the PORPOISE, Captain Flinders, with the officers and men of the INVESTIGATOR, left Port Jackson for England, to procure another vessel to continue the survey left incomplete on the north coast, but were wrecked on Wreck Reef, and afterwards taken prisoners by the French.

His subsequent career and early death were both unhappy, and no effort has been made by either England or Australia to do tardy justice to his name. After his shameful detention in the Isle of France, and his reluctant release, he returned to England to find his rightful promotion in the navy had been pa.s.sed over during his long years of captivity, and that the licensed bravo of Napoleon, General de Caen, had retained (stolen would be the right word) his private journals; and it was only after much trouble and correspondence between the two Governments that they were restored. Flinders completed the work of his life by preparing for the press his charts and logs, and died on the 14th June, 1814, of-there is every reason to believe--a broken heart.

Captain King, when he visited the Isle of France after his Australian surveys, speaks with pride of the kindly memory entertained by the residents for the unfortunate Flinders, and the contempt bestowed upon his cowardly gaoler.

Australia at the time of the explorer's detention was not certainly in a position to demand his liberation. But what has been done since? Sir John Franklin, an official visitor to our sh.o.r.es, erected a memorial to him in the little towns.h.i.+p of Port Lincoln--a tribute to a brother sailor. Ask the average native-born Australian of the southern colonies about Flinders. He will tell you that it is the name of a street in Melbourne.

In Queensland, the boy will say that it is the name of a river somewhere in the colony. That is the amount of honour Australia has bestowed on her greatest navigator.

What was the fate of his companion, Ba.s.s?

After the return from the investigation of Ba.s.s's Straits, the young surgeon s.h.i.+pped on board an armed merchant vessel on a voyage to South America. At Valparaiso the governor of the town refused to allow the vessel to trade. Ba.s.s, who was then in command, threatened to bombard the town if the refusal was not withdrawn. It was rescinded, but, watching their opportunity, the authorities seized Ba.s.s when he was off his guard, and it is supposed that he was sent to the mines in the interior, where he died. He was never heard of again, nor was any attempt made to ascertain his fate.

Not only can we admire both of these men for their dauntless courage, so often tried, but all their work on the coast of Australia was done with no hope of ulterior gain for themselves; their one thought was the extension of geographical knowledge and the benefit of their fellow men.

CHAPTER XVII.

The French Expedition--Buonaparte's lavish outfitting--Baudin in the Geographe--Coast casualties--Sterile and barren appearance--Privations of the crew--Sails for Timor--Hamelin in the NATURALISTE--Explores North-Western coast--Swan River--Isle of Rottnest--Joins her consort at Coepang--Sails for Van Dieman's Land--Examination of the South-East coast of Australia--Flinders' prior visit ignored--French names subst.i.tuted--Discontent among crew--Baudin's unpopularity--Bad food--Port Jackson--Captain King's Voyages--Adventures in the MERMAID--An extensive commission--Allan Cunningham, botanist--Search at Seal Islands for memorial of Flinders' visit--Seed sowing--Jeopardy to voyage--Giant anthills--An aboriginal Stoic--Cape Arnhem and west coast exploration--Macquarie Strait--Audacity of natives--Botanical results satisfactory--Malay Fleet--Raffles Bay--Port Essington--Attack by natives--Cape Van Dieman--Malay Teachings--Timor and its Rajah--Return to Port--Second Voyage--MERMAID and LADY NELSON--East Coast--Cleveland Bay--Cocoa-nuts and pumice stones--Endeavour River--Thieving natives--Geological formation of adjacent country--Remarkable coincidences--Across Gulf of Carpentaria--Inland excursion--Cambridge Gulf--Ophthalmia amongst crew--MERMAID returns to port.

The voyage of the GeOGRAPHE and NATURALISTE, under Commander Baudin, was undertaken whilst the explorations of Flinders were in progress, and their meeting on the south coast, and the subsequent subst.i.tution of French for English names, led to a very sore feeling on the part of the English navigator.

The expedition was under the special sanction of Buonaparte, and there is little doubt was mainly dictated by his morbid jealously of the maritime supremacy of England.

Even at the time when the army of reserve was on the move to cross the Alps, he found leisure to attend to the details of the projected expedition and nominate twenty-three persons to accompany the s.h.i.+ps and make scientific observations. "Astronomers, geographers, mineralogist, botanists, zoologists, draftsmen, horticulturists, all were found ready in number, double, treble, or even quintreple."

"Particular care had been taken that the stores might be abundant and of the best quality. The naval stores at Havre were entirely at the disposal of our commander. Considerable sums were granted him for the purchase of supplies of fresh provisions, such as wines, liquors, syrups, sweetmeats of different kinds, portable soups, Italian pastes, dry lemonade, extracts of beer, etc., some filtering vessels, hand mills, stoves, apparatus for distilling, etc., had been s.h.i.+pped on board each vessel."

Added to which a national medal was struck to preserve the memory of the undertaking, and unlimited credit opened on the princ.i.p.al colonies in Asia and Africa.

Think of Flinders in the crazy old INVESTIGATOR, of King and Cunningham cramped up in the MERMAID, where the cabin was not big enough for their mess-table, and imagine with what scorn they would have looked on these luxurious preparations.

M. Peron writes:--

"On the sh.o.r.es to which we were destined were many interesting nations.

It was the wish of the First Consul, that as deputies of Europe, we should conciliate these uninformed people, and appear among them as friends and benefactors. By his order the most useful animals were embarked in our vessels, a number of interesting trees and shrubs were collected in our s.h.i.+ps, with quant.i.ties of such seeds as were most congenial to the temperature of the climate. The most useful tools, clothing, and ornaments of every sort were provided for them; even the most particular inventions in optics, chemistry, and natural philosophy were contributed for their advantage, or to promote their pleasure."

Certainly if M. Baudin failed it would not be the fault of the First Consul.

On the 27th of May, 18oi, the coast of New Holland was made--"a blackish stripe from the north to the south was the humble profile of the continent first caught sight of." Their first acquaintance with the coast was not encouraging. Landing at Geographe Bay to examine a river reported to be there, the longboat was lost, a sailor named Va.s.se drowned, and the NATURALISTE lost two anchors. The s.h.i.+ps now parted company, the GeOGRAPHE steering north to Dirk Hartog's Road, or Shark's Bay. Here they waited some time for the appearance of the NATURALISTE, but that vessel not appearing, the GeOGRAPHE sailed north, and on the 27th July they were in the neighbourhood of the much visited Rosemary Island. On the 5th of August the Lacepede Islands were found and named, but no landings were effected, and the voyagers described the appearance of the islands as "hideously sterile."

"In the midst of these numerous islands there is not anything to delight the mind. The soil is naked; the ardent sky seems always clear and without clouds; the waves are scarcely agitated, except by the nocturnal tempests: man seems to fly from these ungrateful sh.o.r.es, not a part of which, at least as far as we could distinguish, had the smallest trace of his presence. The aspect is altogether the most whimsical and savage, at all parts raising itself into a thousand different shapes of sandy, sterile, and chalky isles, many of them resembling immense antique tombs; some of them appear united by chains of reefs, others protected by immense sand-banks, and all that one could see of the continent displayed the same sterility, and the same monotony of colour and appearance. The dismayed and astonished navigator turns away his eyes, fatigued with the contemplation of these unhappy isles and hideous solitudes, surrounded, as he views them, with continual dangers; and when he reflects that these inhospitable sh.o.r.es border those of the archipelago of Asia, on which nature has lavished blessings and treasures, he can scarcely conceive how so vast a sterility could be produced in the neighbourhood of such great fecundity. We continued to range the coast, which seemed to make part of the archipelago, everywhere bordered with reefs and quicksands, against which the sea struck with violence, and varied itself as it were in sheafs of foam. Never was such a spectacle before presented to our observation. 'These breakers,'" says M. Boulanger, in his journal, "'seem to form several parallel lines at the sh.o.r.e, and little distant one from the other, above which the waves are seen raising themselves, successively breaking with great fury, and forming a horrible cascade of about fifteen leagues in length. We navigated at this time in the midst of shallows; the lead found only at times six fathoms. Then, though more distant from the land, we were not out of sight of it. This part of New Holland is truly frightful. All the islands that we could reconnoitre presented alike hideous characters of sterility. We continued to sail in the midst of shallows and sandbanks, compelled to repeatedly tack, and avoiding one danger only to fall into another.'"

Their privations were very heavy at this time; the food to which they had been reduced since their departure from the Isle of France had affected the health even of the strongest, and the scurvy increased its ravages.

Added to that, the allowance of water beginning to fail, and their belief in the utter impossibility of taking any from these sh.o.r.es, the GeOGRAPHE, after naming the archipelago of the north-west coast, BUONAPARTES, a name now obsolete, sailed for Timor, and here, after a lapse of some time, was joined by her consort. The stay at Coepang was a long one, for scurvy and sickness was rife amongst the crews and many died.

During the time Captain Hamelin of the NATURALISTE was absent from his consort, he had been busy along the coast. The Swan River was explored by Bailly the naturalist, and the island of Rottnest examined.

"The River of Swans," says M. Bailly, .'was discovered in 1697 by Vlaming, and was thus named by him, from the great number of black swans he there saw. The river cannot be considered as proper to supply the water necessary for a s.h.i.+p; in the first place it is difficult to enter, and its course is obstructed by many shoals and sandbank; and secondly, the distance from the mouth of the river is too great before we can find any fresh water.

"In the meantime the days fixed by Captain Hamelin to wait for the GeOGRAPHE had expired, and we had heard nothing of her, nor did it now appear likely that we should obtain any news of her by staying any longer on this coast, we therefore determined to sail for Endracht's Land, leaving on this island of Rottnest a flag, and a bottle with a letter for the Commander, in case he should touch there."

Leaving the Isle of Rottnest, they sailed north, intending to examine the sh.o.r.e, but the wind compelled them to keep off the land. After several attempts they succeeded in keeping near enough to distinguish the general const.i.tution of the soil, and p.r.o.nounced this part of Edel's Land of the same melancholy appearance as the sh.o.r.e of Leeuwin's Land. On the 9th of July they were in sight of the Isles of Turtel-Duyf and the Abrolhos, on which Pelsart was wrecked in the year 1629. Their first care on anchoring in the "Bay of Sea-dogs"--or Shark's Bay--so called by Dampier--was to find if the GeOGRAPHE was there, or had been there, this being the second rendezvous appointed. No signs being found, they concluded to wait eight or ten days in the hope she would appear.

"Our chief c.o.xswain, on his return from the island of Dirck Hartighs, brought us a pewter plate of about six inches in diameter, on which was roughly engraven two Dutch inscriptions, the first dated 25th of October, 1616, and the second dated 4th of February, 1697. This plate had been found on the northern point of the island, which for this reason we named Cape Inscription. When found it was half covered with sand, near the remains of a post of oak-wood, to which it seemed to have been originally nailed.

"After having carefully copied these two inscriptions, Captain Hamelin had another post made and erected on the spot, and replaced the plate in the same place where it had been found. Captain Hamelin would have thought it sacrilege to carry away this plate, which had been respected for near two centuries of time, and by all navigators who might have visited these sh.o.r.es. The Captain also ordered to be placed on the N.E.

of the island a second plate, on which was inscribed the name of our corvette, and the date of our arrival on these sh.o.r.es."

Evidently M. de Freycinet had no such veneration for antiquity, for on his return from the voyage round the world he subsequently made, he is reported to have carried the relic home and deposited it in the Museum of the Inst.i.tute in Paris.

Having done much to determine the size and formation of the great bight called Shark's Bay, the NATURALISTE resumed her voyage, and joined her consort at Coepang, finding the GeOGRAPHE had arrived there more than a month before. The NATURALISTE, more fortunate than her companion, had few cases of scurvy on board, owing princ.i.p.ally to their many and long stoppages on sh.o.r.e.

The s.h.i.+ps in September took their departure from Timor for Van Dieman's Land, having on board a large proportion of sick. On drawing near the coast, the humidity of the climate and short allowance of water caused many deaths.

"On the 2nd of December, in 15 deg., we observed the first bird of paradise--the most beautiful of equatorial sea-birds. On the 22nd we saw more of them, and on this day we pa.s.sed the Tropic of Capricorn. Thus these observations agree with what is so elegantly said by Buffon on the limits of the climates in which these beautiful birds are seen.

"Following the chariot of the sun in the burning zone between the tropics, ranging continually beneath that ardent sky, without ever exceeding the extreme boundaries of the route of the mighty stars of heaven, it announces to the navigator his approaching pa.s.sage under the celestial signs.

"On the 29th of December, the sea appeared covered with janthines, the most beautiful of the testaceous molusques. This jellyfish, by means of a bunch of small vesicles filled with air, floats on the surface of the waters. On this s.h.i.+ning sh.e.l.l I discovered a new kind of crustaceous animal, of a beautiful ultramarine blue, like the sh.e.l.l; I knew this to be a Pinnothera. This discovery is so much the more interesting, as it does not appear that any of these adhesive animals were ever before found in univalve sh.e.l.ls. On this same day died my colleague, M. Levillian.

During his stay in Dampier's Bay, he had made a fine collection of sh.e.l.ls and petrifactions, which form long banks on these sh.o.r.es, and which are so much the more interesting, as most of them seem to have their living resemblance at the feet of the same rocks, which are composed of these petrified sh.e.l.ls."