Life of Captain Matthew Flinders | Page 7

camps during the
French revolution, that arises his indifference for the arts and sciences,
other than those which have an immediate relation to war. His
Excellency's ideas seem even to be so strictly military, that the
profession of a seaman has very little share in his estimation; and his
ignorance of nautical affairs has been shewn by various circumstances
to be greater than would be supposed in a moderately well informed
man, who had made a voyage from Europe to India.
36. EXTRACT FROM FLINDERS' LETTER-BOOK, REFERRING
TO OXLEY'S APPOINTMENT AS SURVEYOR-GENERAL.
(Melbourne Public Library.)
To Captain Thos. Hurd, Hydrographer, Admiralty Office.
London April 2, 1812.
My dear Sir
Understanding that Lieut. John Oxley of the Navy is going out
surveyor-general of Lands in New South Wales, I wish to point out to
you, that if he should be enabled, in intervals of his land duty, to
accomplish the following nautical objects, in the vicinity of Port
Jackson, and of the settlements in Van Diemen's Land, our knowledge
of those coasts would be thereby improved, and some material
advantages to the colonies probably obtained.
1st. Jervis Bay, a large piece of water whose entrance is in 35.5 south,
and not from than 75 miles from Port Jackson, has never yet, to my
knowledge been surveyed. There have been two or three eye sketches
made of it; but it would be desirable to have it surveyed, with the
streams which are said to fall into its North and western sides; and also
the corresponding line of the sea coast, in which there are thought to be

strata of coal.
The great semicircular range of mountains which has hitherto resisted
all attempts to penetrate into the interior country behind Port Jackson,
appears to terminate at Point Bass in latitude about 34.43; and the land
behind Jervis Bay is represented to be low and flat. It is, therefore,
probable, that a well conducted effort to obtain some knowledge of the
interior of that vast country, would be attended with success if made by
steering a West or N.N.W. course from the head of Jervis Bay.
37. FLINDERS' MEMORIAL IN PARISH CHURCH, AT HIS
BIRTHPLACE, DONINGTON, LINCOLNSHIRE.
IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN MATTHEW FLINDERS, R.N. WHO
DIED JULY 19TH 1814, AGED 40 YEARS.
AFTER HAVING TWICE CIRCUMNAVIGATED THE GLOBE, HE
WAS SENT BY THE ADMIRALTY IN THE YEAR 1801, TO
MAKE DISCOVERIES ON THE COAST OF TERRA AUSTRALIS.
RETURNING FROM THIS VOYAGE HE SUFFERED SHIPWRECK,
AND BY THE INJUSTICE OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT
WAS IMPRISONED SIX YEARS IN THE ISLAND OF
MAURITIUS.
IN 1810, HE WAS RESTORED TO HIS NATIVE LAND, AND NOT
LONG AFTER WAS ATTACKED BY AN EXCRUCIATING
DISEASE, THE ANGUISH OF WHICH HE BORE UNTIL DEATH
WITH UNDEVIATING FORTITUDE.
HIS COUNTRY WILL LONG REGRET THE LOSS OF ONE
WHOSE EXERTIONS IN HER CAUSE WERE ONLY EQUALLED
BY HIS PERSEVERANCE: BUT HIS FAMILY WILL MOST
DEEPLY FEEL THE IRREPARABLE DEPRIVATION.
THEY DO NOT MERELY LAMENT A MAN OF SUPERIOR
INTELLECT. THEY MOURN AN AFFECTIONATE HUSBAND, A
TENDER FATHER, A KIND BROTHER, AND A FAITHFUL
FRIEND.

38. MEMORIAL TO BASS AND FLINDERS AT THE
COMMONWEALTH NAVAL BASE, WESTERNPORT,
VICTORIA.)
The maps have been copied from Flinders' Atlas, with the omission of a
few details, which, on the small scale necessarily adopted, would have
caused confusion; it has been thought better to make what is given
quite legible to the unassisted eye. All names on the maps are as
Flinders spelt them, but in the body of the book modern spellings have
been adopted. In the case of the Duyfhen the usual spelling, which is
also that of Flinders, is retained; but the late J. Backhouse Walker has
shown reason to believe that the real name of the vessel was Duyfken.
CHRONOLOGY.
1774 (March 16) : Born at Donington.
1789 (October 23) : Enters the Royal Navy.
1790 (July 31) : Midshipman on the Bellerophon.
1791 to 1793 : Voyage in the Providence.
1793 (September) : Rejoins the Bellerophon.
1794 (June) : Participates in the battle off Brest.
1795 (February) : Sails for Australia in the Reliance. Meets George
Bass.
1796 (March) : Cruise of the Tom Thumb.
1797 (December) : Bass's whaleboat voyage.
1798 (January) : Discovery of Westernport.
1798 (January) : Flinders' voyage in the Francis.
1798 (January 31) : Flinders obtains lieutenant's commission.

1798 (October) : Voyage of the Norfolk.
1798 (November) : Discovery of Port Dalrymple.
1798 (December) : Bass Strait demonstrated.
1799 : Return to Port Jackson.
1799 (July) : Exploration on Queensland coast.
1800 (March) : Return to England in the Reliance.
1800 (October) : Arrival in England. Plan of Australian Exploration.
1800 (December) : The Investigator commissioned.
1801 (January 17) : Publication of Observations.
1801 (February 16) : Obtains commander's rank.
1801 (April) : Marriage of Flinders.
1801 (July 18) :