rectly towards cape Wilson, on the southern coast of New Holland. From this cape, or promontory, we are told, to cape Leuwen on the west, an extent of coast equal to 900 leagues, the interjacent country, is, in future, to be called Terre Napoleon; and, accordingly as they proceed, we have cape Richelieu, bay Talleyrand, cape Saffrein, cape Marengo, cape Dessaix, cape Volney, cape Buffon, bay Rivoli, cape Jaffa, the peninsula Fleurieu, and within it, a deep gulph, running a hundred miles into the interiour: " to which, in honour of our august empress,' says M. Péron, "we gave the name of Josephine's gulph." After these, come the island Decrés; the peninsula Cambacéres, cape Berthier, and the great gulph of Buonaparte, which runs 200 miles inland. Next follow port Champagny, and the archipelago of Jerome. All those islands, scattered along the coast of Terre Napoleon, amounting to more than 160, present the same dreary picture as those of the archipelago of Buonaparte on the northern coast of this continent; they are low, arid, and sterile, producing neither tree nor shrub; a few sombre lichens only are found encrusting the parched surface. Not a human being is known to exist on them. On this inhospitable coast tremendous storms prevail mostly from the S. W. quarter. The Geographe was nearly wrecked in the gulph of Buonaparte, and the weather was so violent as to oblige them to return to the eastward, before they had completed their operations, and seek for refreshments at Port Jackson. Before we proceed, we feel ourselves called upon to " unfold a tale," respecting this land of Napoleon, which will leave him, at once, without a shadow of the claim to which his flatterers would entitle him. In July, 1801, the Investigator sloop of war, commanded by captain Flin ders, sailed from England, under orders to complete the nautical survey of the coasts of New Holland. In December, he made cape Leuwen, and, stretching along the land of Nuyts, with the coast close on board, by the 17th of March, 1802, he had verified all that Vancouver and Dentrecasteaux accomplished; and, in addition, completed the discovery of the deep gulph or inlet, within the islands of St. Peter and St. Francis, which, as we said before, was conjectured to communicate with the gulph of Carpentaria.— Now, it appears, that, on this very day, the Geographe, for the first time, entered the eastern mouth of Bass's strait, near Furneaux's islands, and two days afterwards came opposite to Western Harbour, on the southern coast, "where," says M. Péron, "finish the labours of the English navigators, and where our long discoveries of the Land of Napoleon begin." It is true that, on the 19th of March, M. Péron could not know what had been effected by captain Flinders to the westward of Western Harbour; but he knew it before he published his book; he knew it, in fact, a few days after the Geographe first made this coast; for, "on the 9th of April, 1802," says captain Flinders, "in lat. 35° 42′ S. long. 139° 16 E. we encountered M. Baudin, in the Geographe, who was prosecuting his examination of the same coast in the opposite direction." Every information unreservedly communicated to captain Baudin; he was told that "the whole of the south coast of Australia, with the exception of ten or fifteen leagues to the west of cape Otway, had undergone an investigation, which was, generally, made at five or six miles distance from the shore, and frequently nearer." But M. Péron says that captain Flinders was very reserved on the subject of his operations; that, however, Buonaparte has since changed it for Louisa's gulph. was they learned from some of his people, how much they had suffered by contrary winds, which had driven him from the coast, and prevented his penetrating, as he had intended, behind the islands of St. Peter and St. Francis, &c. Now we will venture not only to assert, that all this is a direct falsehood (for we have seen both the journal and charts of captain Flinders, which are fortunately arrived safe in this country) but also to pledge ourselves that no such observations are to be found either in captain Baudin's journal, or in the log book of the Geographe. We know not much of captain Baudin's character, but we cannot think so ill of him as to suppose that he would lend his authority, in so wanton and unjustifiable a manner, "to pluck the laurels from a brother's brow." Let us hear what captain Flinders has observed on this occasion. "On the 7th of December, 1801, I made cape Leuwen, the southwesternmost point of New Holland, and commenced the survey of the south coast. The examination of the French admiral, Dentrecasteaux, upon this coast, made in 1792, extended from cape Leuwen as far as the longitude 132° east of Greenwich; and I found the chart of M. Beautems Beaupré, his geographical engineer, so accurate, that the advantage to geography, resulting from my survey, will not consist in correcting what he has laid down, but in confirming, and adding to, the information before obtained."- -[Captain Flinders's M.S. Journal.] Again: "It is known that the French admiral, Dentrecasteaux, did not pursue the coast of Nuyts's Land, so far as Nuyts himself had done; the isles of St. Peter and St. Francis, which terminated the Dutch discovery, were not seen by him, or any islands which could have been mistaken for them. The French then have no claim to original discovery to the westward of these islands, although Dentrecasteaux, and his geographer, Beaupré, deserve much praise for their accurate delineation of those parts. It is most probable, that Nuyts did not see the main coast so far to the east, as the islands which he named; be that as it may, it is certain that the Investigator's discovery will commence where that of the Dutch ends, and it will terminate where she met with Le Geographe. The western boundary of this space cannot be placed to the eastward of 135° east of Greenwich, and the place of meeting captain Baudin was 139° 10' east. Within these limits are comprehended: 1st, The whole of that great projecting cape, of which Cape Catastrophe (so called, from the loss of a boat, with the master and nine men) is the south entrance, with the bays and neighbouring islands; 2dly, The great inlet [No. 12] up to its head; 3dly, The inlet [No. 14] and, 4thly, The large kangaroo island To all these, I apprehend, the Investigator has an undisputed claim to affix names; and, to her, and the British admiralty only, can this right belong, so far as relates to European nations. From the before mentioned longitude of 139° 10' to Cape Northumberland, which I place in 140° 50 the claim of original discovery, so far as I am acquainted, is vested in captain Baudin and the French nation; nor shall I presume to call the headlands contained in this space, by other names, than such as shall be assigned to them in the French chart." [Capt Flinders's M.S. Journal.] Thus, then, the nine hundred leagues of coast, comprehended under the name of Terre Napoleon, and including all the discoveries of Nuyts, Vancouver, Dentrecasteaux, Flinders, Bass and Grant, are reduced to less than 50 leagues of real discovery, or one eighteenth part of that which M. Péron and the imperial institute have, in so barefaced and unjust a manner, ascribed to M. Baudin. We have little doubt that Terre Napoleon will make a figure in the future charts published on the continent; but we are convinced that Messrs. Arrowsmith and Faden will feel too sensibly what is due to their countryman, to defraud him of his well earned reputation, by adopting the name of a usurper. Indeed, in coupling this transaction with the remaining part of captain Flinders's history, a strong suspicion arises, that the whole has been the effect of a premeditated design, to snatch the merit of the discovery from its rightful possessor, for thre 172 purpose of setting up a claim, at some future day, to this part of New Holland. The circumstance of captain Fiinders's unjust detention, as a prisoner, on the Isle of France, was an admirable incident to favour this design. Having lost his ship on a reef of coral rock, he was proceeding to Europe in a small schooner. He called at the Isle of France to refit his vessel, and refresh his crew. On some unfounded pretext, the ship was seized, his books and papers taken possession of, and himself made a close prisoner. Fortunately, however, he found means of forwarding to Europe copies of his charts, journals, and other papers. Six years have now elapsed since he was first detained on that island, and although the French government have sent out an order for his release, in triplicate or quadruplicate, at the particular intercession of sir Joseph Banks, and these orders are known to have been received at the Isle of France, still captain Flinders is detained there. We have, therefore, no hesitation in saying, that unless counter ones had gone out at the same time, the governour, De Caen, would not have dared to disobey the order for his release. Captain Fiinders very justly and pathetically observes: "The complete examination of Australia had been my darling project for years; and never was men overjoyed beyond what I was, on receiving the commission to undertake it Two French ships had sailed, nine months before me, upon the same project, but, by assiduity and favourable circumstances, I had anticipated them in the most interesting parts. In the midst of my ardour, and after overcoming no trifling impediments, I saw myself ar. rested, imprisoned; the produce of all my risks and toils, from which I had promised myself advancement, and the approbation of my country, violently taken from me; and the pleasing ideas, which the being on return to a beloved family, after a long absence, naturally excite in the human heart, I saw blasted by the same violent hand; not for any crime committed, but from the spicion of an intention only. Had the general's [De Caen's] character," he continues, "been that of a man of information, on literary subjects, I might have suspected that one of his objects, in prolonging my detention, was to give time for the previous publication of the voyage of M. Baudin, to prepossess the world that it was to the French nation only the complete discovery and examination of the south coast of Australia was due.” M.Š. He thinks, however, that in De Caen's estimation, voyages undertaken for the promotion of science, were held too low to justify such a suspicion. It may be so; but we are fully persuaded that he has hit upon the real cause of his long and unjust detention. The work is now published; the claims of the French promulgated; and captain Flinders, we doubt not, will be released. The western harbour, though discovered by Bass, and laid down by him from an eye sketch made in an open boat, as mentioned in a note on a published chart, is evidently the spot fixed upon, at a general peace, for the establishment of the Australian Pondicherry. This harbour, says M. Péron, is most incorrectly laid down, the peninsula being an island to which we gave the name of "Isle de François." The water was found to be sufficient for every purpose of navigation, the soil fertile, vegetation active, and the surrounding country abundant in wood. « In short," says M. Péron, "Le Port Western is one of the finest that could possibly be found, combining all the advantages which may one day make it a valuable settlement." Having completed their operations as far as the boisterous state of the weather would permit, the winter setting in, and the men much debilitated by sickness, captain Baudin determined to run for Port Jackson, by again circumnavigating Van Dieman's land. In this passage they experienced dreadful and continued gales of wind, in consequence of which, and of bad provisions, the number of their sick increased daily. The first fifteen days of June brought with them bad weather without any intermission; not more than four men were able to keep the deck, and the ship was almost abandoned to her fate. On arriving before Port Jackson, the crew was reduced to so feeble a state, as to be utterly unable to work the ship into the harbour, which being observed by the governour, a small vessel was sent out to their assistance. Here they found the Investigator, and learned that the Naturaliste, from which they had parted on the eastern coast of Van Dieman, had already called for refreshments at Port Jackson, and sailed for Europe. Meeting, however, with a severe gale of wind to the southward of Van Dieman's land, she found it expedient to return, and joined Le Geographe a few days afterwards. The recovery of the sick, from the moment they found themselves on shore, is described as most rapid. The contempt of the commandant for all those precautions, indispensable to the health of men on long voyages; his disregard of the pointed orders of government on this subject; the unnecessary privations imposed by him on the sick, and the crew at large, repeatedly call forth the severe animadversions of M. Péron. How far his conduct was deserving of the unqualified reprehension it here meets with, we pretend not to determine; but we are of opinion, that a little more delicacy might have been observed towards the memory of an officer who fought bravely for his country at Trafalgar, where his ship, the Fougeux, went down after the action, and capt. Baudin, with every soul on board, perished. The favourable reception which the officers and naturalists of the two ships met from the government of Port Jackson, far exceeded their expectations. "The English received captain HameTin (of the Naturaliste) from the first moment, with that great and polite genero sity, which the perfection of European civilisation only can produce. The most distinguished houses in the colony were open to our companions; and during their whole stay there, they experienced that delicate and kind hospitality, which confers equal honour on him who practises it, and on him who is the object of it. All the resources of the colony were placed at the 3657" In one word," says M. Péron," the disposition of the French captain." [page conduct of the English government, with regard to us, was so marked by magnificence and generosity, that we should be wanting in every principle of honour and justice, were we not to record, in this work, the expression of our gratitude." The same kind attention appears to have been paid to them by the inhabitants. All, continues M. Péron, seemed to feel the important truth, "la cause des sciences est la cause des peuples." It gives us pain to observe, after reading these and similar passages, that the gratitude of captain Hamelin scarcely survived the period of its record by M. Péron. This officer is at present commodore of a squadron of frigates in the East Indies. Last year they attacked and completely destroyed the small and defenceless settlement of Tappanooly, on the coast of Sumatra. Forgetful of that delicate and kind hospitality with which he was received at Port Jackson, captain Hamelin not only permitted, but assisted in the pillage of private property: he even stood by and saw the wardrobes of the ladies plundered, and was base and malicious enough to order his people to tear in pieces, in presence of the owners, several articles of dress which were not worth carrying away. He then compelled the whole of the civilians to embark for the Isle of France, leaving orders that every house in the settlement should be set on fire. When on ship-board, he called the English ladies upon deck, and with savage exultation, pointed out to them the glorious blaze which their houses exhibited. This is that very captain Hamelin, at whose disposition, even in the midst of war, "all the resources of the English colony were placed!" We have been induced to notice this infamous conduct in an officer of the old school, as it tends to prove, among a thousand other instances now before us, how totally the national character of France is altered and depraved by the military despotism which has sprung out of the revolution. Her age of chivalry is, indeed, gone-we fear for ever; and its place is supplied by a systematick ferociousness, a rancorous warfare wholly destitute of that urbanity of manners, that generosity of sentiment, which once served to soften the rigours of contention, and stripped it of half its terrours. The leading principle in the modern school of military France, is to renounce humanity altogether; to mortify, to insult, and trample in the dust a vanquished foe, not so much for the gratification of personal hatred, as for the unworthy purpose ministring to the dark and stormy passions of the most malignant and revengeful of tyrants. of A very detailed, and, we doubt not, very accurate, view is given of the town of Sydney, accompanied with a neat plan, and followed by an animated description of the magnificent harbour of Port Jackson. We suspect, however, that the account of the bustling trade, and flourishing state of the colony, is a little exaggerated. "A group of objects, not less interest ing, forced themselves on our attention. In the harbour were re-assembled a multitude of vessels, recently arrived from different countries of the globe, the great er part of them destined for new and hazardous voyages. These, fitted out on the banks of the Thames and the Shannon, were proceeding to the whale fishery on the wintry coast of New Zealand; those intended for China, after landing their cargoes for the use of the colony, were preparing to sail towards the mouth of the Yellow river. Some laden with coal were about to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope and to India. Several smaller craft were preparing for a coasting voyage to Bass's strait; other vessels, of a stronger construction, manned by more adventurous sailors, and provided with arms, were fitting out for the western coast of America, stored with merchandise of various kinds. These vessels wereintended to establish, by force of arms, a contraband commerce with the inhabitants of Peru, extremely advantageous to both parties. Here an enterprise was preparing for the N. W. coast of America, to carry on a lucrative commerce in furs; there they were hastening an expedition of armed vessels for the Navigator, Friendly, and Society Islands, to import cargoes of salt provisions."-P. 375. The account of the convicts is equally favourable, but we fear equally exaggerated. Robbers and highwaymen are here converted into good husbands and indulgent fathers, and the most abandoned thieves and prostitutes into intelligent and industrious mothers. At Paramatta several of the officers and the corps des savans took up their abode in the house of one Larra, a French Jew, who, from a convicted felon, was now become a freeman and a citizen, and married to a once abandoned, now reformed Jewess. dustrious habits, they soon raised a Both of them being inclined to insmall capital; they cultivated land; lations; and, in short, M. Larra was they entered into commercial specu and most respectable inhabitants of the colony. Three French convicts served him as domesticks, all sensible of their former misconduct, and fully determined to lead, in future, virtuous and honest lives. Far different, however, were the feelings of another Frenchman, of the name of Morand, a jeweller and clock-maker in the town of Sydney, who had been transported for forging bank notes, or, as he pleased to state it: "d'avoir voulu s'associer à la banque d'Angleterre sans mise de fonds." The levity with which this wretch related his own villanies, and the delight he seemed to experience at now considered as one of the richest |