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Note: All references to the Heinemann Atlas 3rd edn
in this Background apply equally to the electronic version of the book, the
Heinemann eAtlas.
The photographs of the South Australian coast used in the banners for the Background
and Internet Investigation are © Roger Smith & Mark Manuel, published
here with their kind permission.
The Heinemann Atlas 3rd Edition and its electronic version
the Heinemann eAtlas contain considerable material on exploration and
the South Australian coastline, which was surveyed and explored by Matthew Flinders
and Nicolas Baudin and their crews. Refer to pages 8–9, 51, 52, 54–5, 58 and
59. If you want to find out more about Flinders, see also the Atlas Update 'Matthew
Flinders and Australia', which is also in Australian Themes, Exploration and
Settlement.
Two ships meet
It is Monday 8 April 1802. The British explorer Matthew Flinders and the French
navigator Nicolas Baudin meet unexpectedly in the waters of Encounter Bay, near
Victor Harbor, South Australia (see the Heinemann Atlas 3rd edn,
page 51, G3 and page 52, B1).
All this is taking place at a time when:
- France and Britain are at war (tensions have existed since the French Revolution)
- both France and Britain are charting the coast of Australia
- France and Britain hold totally different ideas about the shape and size
of Terra Australis.
Events leading to the meeting of Flinders and Baudin
Matthew Flinders left England on 18 July 1801 but by this time Nicolas Baudin
was already surveying the western coast of New Holland. Baudin had left Le Havre
on 19 October 1800. He had submitted a plan for his voyage in 1798, knowing
that Britain already had a settlement on the east coast of Australia. Baudin’s
plan was to complete the exploration of the coastline of New Holland.
Surprisingly, even though it was a turbulent time in France and Europe, the
Baudin expedition appears to have been commissioned for the purpose of geographical
and scientific discovery, and not for political or strategic purposes.
Nevertheless, Flinders’ date of departure was just six months after he was
commissioned as commander – a hasty arrangement for those days. It is thought
that the speed with which the voyage was approved, provisioned, crewed and begun
reflected the suspicions of the British Admiralty about the motives of Baudin’s
expedition to New Holland.
A need for safe passage
As France and Britain had been at war since 1792. Baudin therefore urgently
wanted a passport of safety. In a spirit of cooperation and recognition for
Baudin's aims, and in spite of possible suspicion about his motives, in 1800
the British Government granted his expedition with the ships Géographe
and Naturaliste a certificate of safe passage to New Holland and back.
Similarly, in addition to his passport granted by the French, Flinders was
directed to 'act in all respects towards French ships as if the two countries
were not at war'.
Theories about Australia's size, shape
Britain's Flinders and France's Baudin were anxious to clear up the mystery
about the shape and size of New Holland, or the 'fifth continent', as it was
also known.
Britain: Australia a series of islands?
The British view of Terra Australis was based on the explorations of William
Dampier in 1683 and 1699. On the second of these voyages he had visited the
coast of north-western Australia and had seen huge volumes of water moving in
and out of the gulfs in this tropical region of Australia (see the Heinemann
Atlas 3rd edn, page 41, F8 – town of Dampier – and
page 47's '2000' map). Dampier suggested that Australia might not be the fifth
continent at all but a series of islands divided by straits. The geographers
of the time added weight to this hypothesis because Dampier had found no large
rivers, which at that time were said to be a feature of continents.
James Grant's effect on Flinders' quest
Flinders was intrigued by the possibility of a large straits or gulfs dividing
Terra Australis into smaller islands. Before he sailed along the southern coast
of Australia, Flinders received news of the explorations of James Grant. In
1800, Grant had been sent to map the western side of what is now known as Bass
Strait (see the Heinemann Atlas 3rd edn, page 89, F2
and G2; and page 99, C5 and D5). Grant discovered that the coast turned north
at Cape Northumberland (see the Heinemann Atlas 3rd edn, page
51, H1), near the present day town of Mount Gambier (page 51, H2).
The explorations of Grant raised this question: Was the settlement of Sydney,
New South Wales, on a separate island to the regions of the western coast of
New Holland that had been mapped by Dampier, Baudin and Dutch explorers?
France: Australia a continent?
The French view was that Australia was a continent and that the islands theory
could be explained by the different names for different parts of the same land
mass. Baudin used Dampier’s charts, not to test the British islands theory but
to check the accuracy of Dampier’s 17th-century maps. The French
Government sent Baudin to map the whole of the fifth continent (except the coast
of New South Wales) and in particular the 'unknown' southern coast.
First meeting at Encounter Bay
The complete plotting of Flinders’ and Baudin's voyage is shown in the Map Outline
for this Atlas Update: The voyages of Matthew Flinders in the Investigator
and Nicolas Baudin in the Géographe, 1802. The two ships
met six nautical miles – approximately 11 kilometres – south-southeast
of the Murray Mouth (see the Heinemann Atlas 3rd edn, pages
52, 58 and 59).
The first, chance meeting of Flinders and Baudin was important for both of
them, as they had a chance to share information.
When Flinders and Baudin met on 8 April 1802, Flinders had been sailing east
and had charted the whole of the South Australian coast, including the two gulfs,
as far as Encounter Bay (see the Heinemann Atlas 3rd edn,
page 51).
Nicolas Baudin had sailed west from Tasmania and charted the coast from Westernport
Bay to Encounter Bay (see The Heinemann Atlas 3rd edn, page
90, C2; pages 88–9; and page 51).
Records of the meeting
Today it is possible to read the Flinders' actual diary and log book entries
that record of the meeting because of the journal entries in Flinders’ diary.
They can easily be found on the Internet (see the Web Links page for this Atlas
Update). Baudin’s account of the meeting can be found in translation. See the
Web Links page for where to find The Journal of Post Captain Nicolas Baudin,
Commander-in-Chief of the Corvettes ‘Géographe’ and ‘Naturaliste’
by N. Baudin, translated by Christine Cornell.
Initial fears unfounded
About 4.00 pm on the day of the meeting the Géographe’s
lookout sighted the Investigator. At first Baudin and his crew thought
the ship was their partner ship the Naturaliste. (They had lost contact
with it during a gale in Bass Strait.) Then Baudin’s crew noticed that the approaching
ship was flying an English flag.
When Flinders saw the Géographe he 'cleared for action'
even though he would have known about the scientific nature of Baudin’s expedition
because it had sailed from France in October 1800. Baudin then made his peaceful
intentions clear by flying a French ensign and an English flag from the Géographe.
Here is the Investigator's account of the first meeting:
Fair Log of HM Sloop Investigator
1802. April 9th. [This was written one day later than the meeting.]
Investigator exploring the unknown south coast of New Holland, between
Kanguroo Island and Bass’s Strait.
4p.m. Saw something ahead which was first taken for a pyramid rock, but
it proved to be a ship. Cleared at quarters and shewed our colours. On their
shewing French colours with an English jack forward, hoisted a white flag;
and as the ship was steering free, towards us, shortened sail and hove to,
being ready for action. On the stranger coming up at about 5.40, found it
to be Le Géographe, captain Baudin, upon a voyage of discovery
from France, but last from Mauritius and Timor. Hoisted out the cutter and
the commander accompanied by the naturalist went on board, but whilst this
was doing kept our broadside towards the ship."
Flinders, Robert Brown, the naturalist travelling on the Investigator,
and a crew of sailors rowed to the Géographe. When onboard,
Baudin told Flinders that the chart he was using (he had come from the region
of Bass Strait) which Flinders had drawn, needed some corrections. Flinders
recognised the map as his and pointed to his name. Baudin was delighted to meet
Flinders and explained that he had visited the south and east coasts of Van
Diemen’s Land and parts of Bass Strait. Flinders and George Bass had charted
these waters in 1798 and 1799 (see The Heinemann Atlas 3rd edn,
page 8).
A second meeting
After the initial meeting aboard this ship, the two explorers
had a second meeting the next morning. Here is an extract from Robert Brown's
diary:
In the morning a little after 6 again went on board Le Géographe.
Returned before 8. We then parted company with her …
Flinders gives an account of the second meeting on the morning of the 9th
April 1802:
Captain Baudin was much more inquisitive this morning concerning the Investigator
and her destination than before, having learned from my boat’s crew that
our business was discover; and finding that we had examined the south coast
of New Holland thus far, I thought he appeared to be somewhat mortified. I
gave as much information to him of Kanguroo Island, the inlets No. 12 and
No. 14 [Spencer and St. Vincent Gulfs], and the Bay No.10 [Port Lincoln] as
was necessary to his obtaining water; and I offered to convey any information
he might wish to the Naturaliste, in case of meeting with him; but
he only requested me to say, that he should go to Port Jackson so soon as
the bad weather set in.
Language difficulties
Language difficulties occurred between the two groups because Baudin spoke
French and a little English while Flinders only spoke English. Robert Brown
knew some French so he was able to assist the exchange of information.
Encounter Bay named
Flinders described to Baudin his discoveries in the Nuyts Archipelago (south of
the South Australian town of Ceduna) and gave him several maps of Australia. These
had been published after Baudin’s expedition left France in October 1800. Where
the two ships met, the coast curved to the south-east and formed a large bay or
bight. Flinders wrote of the meeting in the following way:
The head of this bay was probably seen by Captain Baudin in the afternoon
[of the 8th]; and in consequence of our meeting here, I distinguish
it by the name Encounter Bay.
A chance to discuss the mystery
Even though the meeting between the two explorers was unexpected, Flinders
was pleased that it occurred because it gave him the opportunity to question
Baudin about a possible gulf that would be located east of Encounter Bay. If
this gulf existed it raised the possibility of Australia being divided into
several islands. Such information would help solve the mystery, as far as the
British were concerned, of Terra Australis. Unfortunately Baudin’s explorations
did not help Flinders solve the mystery. (Later, however, through his own investigations
he found no evidence for the islands theory.)
War hinders recognition of the explorations
Unfortunately the explorations of Flinders and Baudin were largely unrecognised
in the early years of the 19th century. Contributing to this was
the intensifying war (Napoleonic War) between France and Britain (and Britain’s
European allies). It was many years before the geographical and scientific discoveries
of both expeditions became widely published.
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