A Voyage to Terra Australis. Matthew Flinders

and the Encyclopedia Britannica, presented by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, formed a library in my cabin for the use of all the officers. Every chart at the Admiralty, which related to Terra Australis and the neighbouring islands, was copied for us under the direction of the late hydrographer, Alexander Dalrymple, Esq.; who also enriched our stock of information by communicating all such parts of his works as were appropriate to the voyage.

      The expense to officers of an outfit for several years, was much alleviated by the liberality of the Hon. East-India Company. The sum of £600. was ordered by the Court of Directors, to be paid as an allowance to the men of science, to the officers of the ship, and myself, for our tables; and the same sum to be given at the conclusion of the voyage. This allowance the directors were pleased to make, from the voyage being within the limits of the Company's charter, from the expectation of our examinations and discoveries proving advantageous to their commerce and the eastern navigation, and partly, as they said, for my former services.

      On the 26th, I received orders to proceed round to Spithead; but the winds being generally from the westward, we did not arrive there before the 2nd of June. A circumstance occurred during the passage, which, amongst many others, showed the necessity there was for a regulation since adopted, to furnish His Majesty's ships with correct charts. No master had been appointed to the Investigator; nor was any officer on board intimately acquainted with the navigation of the Channel; and having been most of my life engaged in foreign voyages, I was under the necessity, after leaving the pilot in the Downs, to trust almost wholly to my chart, which was that of Mr. J. H. Moore. In working up under Dungeness, on the evening of May 28, we made a trip in shore, towards the town of Hythe, as I supposed from the chart. A little after six, the officer of the watch had reported our distance from the land to be near two leagues; and there being from 10 to 14 fathoms marked within two or three miles of it, and no mention of any shoal lying in the way, I intended to stand on half an hour longer; but in ten minutes, felt the ship lifting upon a bank. The sails were immediately thrown aback; and the weather being fine and water smooth, the ship was got off without having received any apparent injury.

      This sand is laid down in the Admiralty charts, under the name of the Roar; and extends from Dungeness towards Folkstone, at the distance of from two and a half, to four miles from the land. The leadsman, having found no bottom with 15 fathoms at ten minutes before six, had very culpably quitted the chains when his watch was out, without taking another cast of the lead; and the ship, in going at the rate of two knots and three-quarters, was upon the bank at twenty minutes after six; so that it appears to be steep on the east side.

      The bearings given by the azimuth compass, whilst the ship was aground, were as under:

      Dungeness light house, S. W.

      Lidd church W. by S. ½ S.

      Town of Dim, but taken to be Hythe, N. W. by N.

      Cheriton church, then supposed to be Folkstone, E. N. E.

      Cliffy eastern extreme of the land, near Dover, E. ½ N.

      The distance from the town of Hythe (Dim,) was guessed to be not less than two-and-half, nor more than four miles.

      [IN ENGLAND. PORTSMOUTH.]

      JUNE.

      In consequence of this accident, we went into Portsmouth Harbour and into dock on June 10; and it being ascertained that the ship had received no injury, we returned to Spithead next day, and moored as before, waiting for orders. On the 18th, commissioner Sir Charles Saxton paid the ship's company their wages up to the end of May, with an advance of two months; and the officers were permitted to draw bills for three months pay in advance.

      JULY.

      On July 17, I received the following instructions for the execution of the voyage.

      By the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, etc.

      Whereas the sloop you command has been fitted and stored for a voyage to remote parts; And whereas it is our intention that you should proceed in her to the coast of New Holland for the purpose of making a complete examination and survey of the said coast, on the eastern side of which His Majesty's colony of New South Wales is situated; You are hereby required and directed to put to sea the first favourable opportunity of wind and weather, and proceed with as little delay as possible in execution of the service above-mentioned, repairing in the first place to Madeira and the Cape of Good Hope in order to take on board such supplies of water and live stock as you may be in want of.

      Having so done you are to make the best of your way to the coast of New Holland, running down the said coast from 130 degrees of east longitude to Bass's Strait; (putting if you shall find it necessary, into King George the third's Harbour for refreshments and water previous to your commencing the survey;) and on your arrival on the coast, use your best endeavours to discover such harbours as may be in those parts; and in case you should discover any creek or opening likely to lead to an inland sea or strait, you are at liberty either to examine it, or not, as you shall judge it most expedient, until a more favourable opportunity shall enable you so to do.

      When it shall appear to you necessary, you are to repair to Sydney Cove for the purpose of refreshing your people, refitting the sloop under your command, and consulting with the governor of New South Wales upon the best means of carrying on the survey of the coast; and having received from him such information as he may be able to communicate, and taken under your command the Lady Nelson tender, which you may expect to find at Sydney Cove, you are to recommence your survey, by first diligently examining the coast from Bass's Strait to King George the third's Harbour; which you may do either by proceeding along shore to the westward, or, in case you should think it more expedient., by proceeding first to King George's Sound, and carrying on your survey from thence to the eastward.

      You are to repair from time to time, when the season will no longer admit of your carrying on the survey, to Sydney Cove; from whence your are to return in the execution of these instructions, so soon as circumstances will enable you so to do.

      You are to be very diligent in your examination of the said coast, and to take particular care to insert in your journal every circumstance that may be useful to a full and complete knowledge thereof, noting the winds and weather which usually prevail there at different seasons of the year, the productions and comparative fertility of the soil, and the manners and customs of the inhabitants of such parts as you may be able to explore; fixing in all cases, when in your power, the true positions both in latitude and longitude of remarkable head lands, bays, and harbours, by astronomical observations, and noting the variation of the needle, and the right direction and course of the tides and currents, as well as the perpendicular height of the tides; and in case, during your survey, any river should be discovered, you are either to proceed yourself in the tender, or to direct her commander to enter it, and proceed as far up as circumstances will permit; carefully laying down the course and the banks thereof, and noting the soundings, going on shore as often as it shall appear probable that any considerable variation has taken place either in the productions of the soil or the customs of the inhabitants; examining the country as far inland as shall be thought prudent to venture with the small number of persons who can be spared from the charge of the vessel, wherever there appears to be a probability of discovering any thing useful to the commerce or manufactures of the United Kingdom.

      When you shall have completely examined the whole of the coast from Bass's Strait to King George the third's Harbour, you are, at such times as may be most suitable for the purpose, (which may be seen on a reference to Mr. Dalrymple's memoir, an extract of which accompanies this,) to proceed to and explore the north-west coast of New Holland, where, from the extreme height of the tides observed by Dampier, it is probable that valuable harbours may be discovered.

      Having performed this service, you are carefully to examine the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the parts to the westward thereof, between the 130th and 139th degrees of east longitude; taking care to seize the earliest opportunity to do so, when the seasons and prevalent winds may be favourable for visiting those seas.

      When you shall have explored the Gulf of Carpentaria and the parts to the