Life of Captain Matthew Flinders

Life of Captain Matthew Flinders

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Title: The Life of Captain Matthew Flinders
Author: Ernest Scott
Release Date: January, 2005 [EBook #7304] [Yes, we are more than
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAPTAIN
MATTHEW FLINDERS ***

Produced by Sue Asscher

THE LIFE OF
CAPTAIN MATTHEW FLINDERS, R.N.
BY
ERNEST SCOTT
PROFESSOR OF HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF
MELBOURNE
AUTHOR OF "TERRE NAPOLEON" AND "LIFE OF LAPEROUSE"
WITH PORTRAITS, MAPS, AND FACSIMILES.
SYDNEY ANGUS & ROBERTSON LTD. 89 CASTLEREAGH
STREET 1914.

PREFACE.
The subject of this book died one hundred years ago. Within his forty
years of life, he discovered a very large area of what is now an
important region of the earth; he participated in stirring events which
are memorable in modern history; he applied a vigorous and original

mind to the advancement of knowledge, with useful results; and he was
the victim of circumstances which, however stated, were peculiarly
unfortunate, and must evoke the sympathy of everyone who takes the
trouble to understand them. His career was crowded with adventures:
war, perilous voyages, explorations of unknown coasts, encounters
with savages, shipwreck and imprisonment are the elements which go
to make up his story. He was, withal, a downright Englishman of
exceptionally high character, proud of his service and unsparing of
himself in the pursuit of his duty.
Yet up to this time his biography has not been written. There are, it is
true, outlines of his career in various works of reference, notably that
contributed by Sir J.K. Laughton to the Dictionary of National
Biography. But there is no book to which a reader can turn for a fairly
full account of his achievements, and an estimate of his personality. Of
all discoverers of leading rank Matthew Flinders is the only one about
whom there is no ample and convenient record.
This book endeavours to fill the gap.
The material upon which it is founded is set forth in the footnotes and
the bibliography. Here the author takes pleasure in acknowledging the
assistance he has received from several quarters. A previous book
brought him the acquaintance of the grand-nephew of that Comte de
Fleurieu who largely inspired three famous French voyages to
Australia--those of Laperouse, Dentrecasteaux and Baudin--all of
which have an important bearing upon the subject. The Comte A. de
Fleurieu had long been engaged in collecting material relative to the
work and influence of his distinguished grand-uncle, and in the most
generous manner he handed over to the author his very large collection
of manuscripts and note-books to be read, noted, and used at discretion.
Even when a historian does not actually quote or directly use matter
bearing upon his subject, it is of immense advantage to have access to
documents which throw light upon it, and which enable an in-and-out
knowledge of a period and persons to be obtained. This book owes
much of whatever value it may possess to monsieur de Fleurieu's
assistance in this respect, and the author thanks him most warmly.

The Flinders papers, of which free use has been made, were presented
to the Melbourne Public Library by Professor W.M. Flinders Petrie.
They are described in the bibliography. The transcripts of family and
personal documents were especially valuable. Although they were not
supplied for this book, Professor Flinders Petrie gave them in order that
they might be of use to some biographer of his grandfather, and the
author begs to thank him, and also Mr. E La Touche Armstrong, the
chief librarian, in whose custody they are, and who has given frequent
access to them.
The rich stores of manuscripts in the Mitchell Library, Sydney, have
been thoroughly examined, with the assistance of Mr. W.H. Ifould,
principal librarian, Mr. Hugh Wright, and the