proceed homewards by the north coast, necessitating a second voyage between the east coast of the mainland and the Great Barrier Reef, to which we have already referred. Here, however, his usual good fortune deserted him-unfortunately never to return. When opposite the present colony of Queensland, the Porpoise struck on a detached mass of coral reef. Her masts immediately went overboard, and she turned broadside on to the violence of the waves. It being apparent to those on board that their vessel could not long hold together, all eyes were at once turned in the direction of the Cato and Bridgewater as the only means of escape. But there a truly fearful sight met their gaze. Following in the wake of the Porpoise, these two vessels had perceived her mishap, and now suddenly altered their courses in a last effort to avoid the reef. This manoeuvre caused the paths of both ships to cross, and they were now bearing down on each other with every appearance of a collision. By a daring and skilful turn, however, the captain of the Cato avoided the impending shock. The anxious spectators of the Porpoise saw the two vessels pass side by side, almost grazing. Presently they opened off from each other, the Cato steering to the northeast, and the Bridgewater going south. The manoeuvre, however, of the captain of the Cato cost him his ship. In another moment she struck on the reef; through the gathering darkness her masts were seen to fall overboard by the crew of the Porpoise, and then night entirely closed on the dreadful scene. One solitary ray alone shone through the thick gloom, still lending hope. A light was shown from the masthead of the Bridgewater, indicating that she, at all events, had escaped from these complicated dangers.

II.

Want of Assistance in the Captain of the Bridgewater-The Bridgewater Deserts the Two Wrecks-The Crews of the Porpoise and Cato Reach an Adjacent Sandbank-Captain Flinders Starts for Sydney and Rescues his Companions -Leaves again for England in the Cumberland-Puts in for Repairs at Mauritius-The Governor Accuses him as a Spy-Filthy Lodgings-The French Government's Passport Repudiated-Appearance of the Record of the French Expedition-Public Feeling in France-The Emperor Signs the Order for his Release-De Caen's Behaviour-Flinders Returns to England -His Death.

SELDOM indeed is a writer called on to record any want of prompt

and generous assistance on the part of those whose trade is on the deep to their less fortunate brethren, most seldom when the honour of the

English flag is concerned. Our narrative, however, now compels us to mention as dastardly an act of desertion as it is possible to conceive. Captain Palmer, having escaped into smooth water-mainly through the gallant, though ill-fated, manœuvre of the commander of the Cato -waited for the morning's light-"saw," in the language of Mr. Williams, one of his own indignant officers, "the reef on our weather bow, and, from the masthead, the two ships, and to leeward of them a sandbank”—and then proceeded on his course. "The ships," continues this honest fellow, "were very distinctly to be seen from aloft, and also from the deck; but, instead of rendering them any succour, the captain ordered the ship to be put on the other tack, and said it was impossible to send them any relief." The indignation of Mr. Williams did not end here. Wherever the Bridgewater touched, he spread the report of this base desertion of their fellow-voyagers, and, as soon as opportunity permitted, left the vessel, forfeiting his wages, and even his few articles of property. On the contrary, Captain Palmer, on arriving at Calcutta, communicated to the newspapers a circumstantial narrative of the total destruction of the two vessels and their crews. From India he sailed for England, and was heard of no more.

As soon as it was

Let us now return to the scene of the wrecks. placed beyond doubt that the Bridgewater had abandoned them to their fate, the crews of the Porpoise and Cato put forth all their energies to rescue themselves from their vessels, now rapidly going to pieces. After great exertions, they at length succeeded in assembling on an adjacent sandbank, about 150 fathoms long, and elevated some four feet above high-water mark. Thither they conveyed all the stores that could be sayed from the ships, and, on the second day after their catastrophe, found they numbered 94 souls, with water and provisions for about three months' consumption. They also saved a couple of six-oared cutters. Most fortunately, Captain Flinders' highly-valuable maps and charts were also preserved. They were now about 800 miles from the nearest settlement-namely, Sydney-and Captain Flinders proposed to go thither, in search of aid, in one of these open cutters. This most difficult achievement he accomplished in less than two months, returning to his companions with the Rolla and a most welcome supply of provisions.

On his return to Sydney, Captain Flinders made his second effort to reach England in the Cumberland, a vessel of only 29 tons burden. She proved leaky, and scarcely able to carry sail. When in the vicinity of

Mauritius, it was found necessary to put into Port Louis to refit. And here that storm, whose early warnings we gave intimation of on the arrival of the French exploring expedition on the Australian coast, burst on the devoted head of our commander. Mauritius-then known as the Isle of France-was, at that period, the property of the French Government. Indeed, it was the chief French privatecring station in the Napoleon wars, and the injury which it inflicted on the merchant marine of England is well-nigh incalculable. It was now under the governorship of General De Caen, and Le Géographe had recently paid it a visit on her return home, some months before the arrival of Captain Flinders.

On his first interview with De Caen, Flinders became aware how dangerous a step he had taken in entering Port Louis. The governor behaved with excessive rudeness; affected to believe that so great an explorer as Captain Flinders could not possibly be sent home in a leaky vessel of 29 tons burden; and ended by calling him an impostor and a spy. His diaries, charts, and maps were brought on shore. The Cumberland was taken possession of. Captain Flinders, and his companion, Mr. Aken, were conducted to a miserable lodging, to be there confined to an equally miserable room, containing two truckle-beds without curtains, a small table, two rush-bottomed chairs, and whole legions of fleas, and other still more objectionable vermin. To add to these indignities, early the next morning a sentinel burst open the door, and took up his beat between the two truckle-beds. At dinner-hour, an invitation was given to him to go to the governor's table. But the spirit of a British officer was now thoroughly roused within him. He returned for answer, that he could appear as the guest of the governor only when treated in accordance with his rank and the terms of his passport. In all probability, this was the reply which De Caen sought, and which his previous treatment had been fashioned to bring about. His hospitality had been offered—and was refused: without explanation, the onus of this fact would rest upon his prisoner. Certainly, from that hour all intercourse ceased; nor was even the least reply vouchsafed to Captain Flinders' repeated letters and applications. The identity of Captain Flinders with the commander of the late Exploring Expedition being, of course, capable of the clearest proof, a new expedient, to justify this strange detention, became necessary. The passport issued by the French Government was "to the captain, officers, and crew of the Investigator ;" and, of necessity, could contain

no reference to the Cumberland.

It was now maintained, on the part

of the governor, that he was not bound to recognise the passengers of an unknown ship entering one of his ports; that Captain Flinders, in changing from one vessel to another, had forfeited all rights and privileges conferred on him by the French Minister of Marine.

In 1806-while Captain Flinders was of course a close prisoner, and his maps and charts in De Caen's possession-appeared the first volume of the results of the French Exploring Expedition in Le Géographe and Le Naturaliste. Had Captain Flinders obtained a sight of it, he would have stared indeed. The scene of his discoveries is there called "Napoleon's Land." For the various bays, capes, islands, &c., named by him and entered on his charts, appeared" Golfe Bonaparte,' "Golfe

Josephine," "Cap Marengo," "Cap Dessaix." In short, scarce a spot was left which did not bear the name of some member of the new Emperor's family, his marshals, or the incidents which had given importance to his career. Even Port Philip, named from the earliest governor of the settlement-and which recent gold discoveries have made so familiar to English ears-now appeared as "Port de Début.” To complete the whole, to the map of this imaginary land (for the charts were rudely and very imperfectly copied from the actual surveys of Captain Flinders) was affixed the representation of an eye, with an "N" inscribed therein, looking down on the Southern Hemisphere, on which were traced the outlines of New Holland. It is almost unnecessary to remark that to the map of Australia has long since been restored its honest English nomenclature. Had, however, the life of Captain Flinders then yielded to the harsh treatment and cruel suspense to which he was exposed-as, indeed, it did shortly after to their results—it is difficult to say what might have been the ultimate fate of that portion of the globe, both in a political as well as in a geographical sense. "The state of uncertitude," writes Captain Flinders, "in which I remained, brought on a dejection of spirits which might have proved fatal, had I not endeavoured, by constant occupation, to force my mind from a subject so destructive to its repose. Such an end to my detention would have given too much pleasure to the captain-general; and, from a sort of perversity in human nature, the conviction even brought its support."

It is but fair to the great body of the French nation, at home and abroad, to state that the ill-fated English explorer possessed their entire sympathy. In the island, Admiral Linois made repeated applications to the governor on his behalf. M. Laborde, the chief physician of the medical staff, represented that country air and exercise were absolutely necessary for the restoration of his health; for which he received a sharp rebuff from De Caen. Captain Bergeret made solicitation that his maps and charts should be restored to him, in order that he might employ his enforced leisure upon their completion, while the surveys were fresh in his memory. The civilians of Mauritius offered him all the care and hospitality in their power; and a petition, signed by every one of position and influence in the isle, was forwarded to the National Institute in his behalf. In France, the world-renowned geographer, Malte Brun, hastened to restore these discoveries to their rightful owner. The brother of Captain Baudin, of Le Géographe (Captain Baudin himself had died on the voyage) published the kindness and