- Author
- Grose, Kelvin
- Subjects
- 19th century wars, History - pre-Federation
- Tags
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- September 2005 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Nelson knew full well what the French were up to, and so did Matthew Flinders, even before he read Francois Peron’s Voyage de Decouvertes Aux Terres Australes, Paris 1816, shortly before he died. Freycinet’s map of 1808 shows Terre Napoleon going from Wilson’s Promontory to Cap des Adieux (past Ceduna); that is, a large part of Victoria, all of Adelaide and environs, past Port Lincoln to half-way round the Great Australian Bight ((Francois Peron, Voyage de decouvertes Aux Terres Australes, Paris 1816. See separate Atlas.)). Flinders Island becomes Îles Fumeaux, Spencer’s Gulf becomes Golfe Bonaparte, St Vincent’s Gulf becomes Golfe Josephine, Torquay to Lome becomes Talleyrand Bay, Kangaroo Island becomes Île Decres, Investigator Strait becomes Lacepede Strait and Streaky Bay becomes Louis Bay ((Ibid. See Freycinet’s Atlas.)).
It is clear to me that Flinder’s long period of arrest in Île de France was engineered by the French so that they could be first into print. I would blame Freycinet and Peron.