Page:Cyclopedia of Western Australia, volume 1.pdf/101
explored. The land in places seemed barren or covered with a deadly green herbage, with here and there a few grovelling shrubs or dwarf trees scattered at a great distance from each other." This, Vancouver admits, might not have originated from sterility of the soil, but as the result of a bushfire which it was evident had recently passed over it, especially as the surrounding country presented a far more fertile and pleasing aspect. Fresh water was abundant and kangaroos, ducks, and fish not scarce. The climate was temperate and agreeable. Of shrubs and plants a great variety was found, which "afforded Mr. Menzies [the naturalist of the expedition] much entertainment and enjoyment." Natives they did not actually meet, but one or two deserted villages were seen, as well as single habitations, giving them the impression that the aborigines were a wandering people, trusting greatly to the natural products of the soil for food, and not expert either at hunting or fishing. Our illustration of the deserted village is taken from the published account of "Vancouver's Voyage," and is interesting if only to show the ideal impression that the mind of an artist can receive from even the squalid shelter of an Australian black.
Before leaving the Sound Vancouver deposited on Point Possession a sealed bottle containing a parchment record of his visit, and a second bottle containing a similar record on Seal Island, where he thought the natives would be less likely to get it. This second bottle was probably found by Chr. Dixon, of the "Elligood," who left a plate recording his calling at Oyster Harbour in August, 1800.
In 1883 a wooden tablet was erected by the Governor, Sir William Robinson, over an old well on the island by the channel connecting Middleton Bay and Oyster Harbour. This it is believed marks the spot where "George Vancouver, an illustrious navigator, watered H.M.S. 'Discovery' in October, 1791."
Leaving King George III. Sound Vancouver and Broughton continued their voyage eastward along the coast as far as Termination Island, so named from the fact that from there they set their course for America and lost sight of the Australian coast. In addition to the places mentioned Point Possession, Cape Howe, Mount Gardner, the Eclipse, Breaksea, Seal, and Michaelmas Island and nearly every prominent headland or island from Cape Leeuwin to 122° east longitude owe their names to this voyage, which from the standpoint of accuracy of observation and attention to detail was one of the most important made to the shores of Western Australia.
About this time the French Government began to be anxious about the fate of the expedition under La Pérouse, which had not been heard of since leaving Botany Bay in 1788. The general impression was that the expedition had met with disaster, but in order to have the matter cleared up two ships, the "Recherche" and the "Esperance," were fitted out for a search and placed under the command of Admiral D'Entrecasteaux. Leaving France in September, 1791, D'Entrecasteaux proceeded by way of the Cape of Good Hope and reached the coast of Tasmania, anchoring in Storm Bay on April 21, 1792. From there they went to the Solomon Islands, the Moluccas, and the East Indian Archipelago, and then turned southward down the coast of Western Australia. They did not, however, sight the Australian coast until December, 1792, when they came within hail of a point which they named D'Entrecasteaux Point, lying north-west of Chatham Island. Continuing their course to the eastward they skirted the coast as far as Termination Island, where they sheltered from a storm and then turned off to Tasmania again. The account of this voyage was written by Labillardière, the celebrated botanist, who seems to have possessed especial talent for noticing unimportant things so far as Australia is concerned. Several places on the south coast were charted and named on this voyage, to which the discovery of the Recherche Archipelago is due.
This expedition, so far as finding any trace of La Pérouse and his party was concerned, was doomed to failure. The fate of that navigator remained a mystery until 1825, when Captain Dillon, of H.M.S. "Research," discovered remnants of the "Astrolabe" and "Boussole" on Vanikoro, the most southerly island of the Santa Cruz Group.
English maritime activity in the Southern Seas was now in full swing and English association with the new South Land definitely established. Perhaps no one did more to bring about an accurate knowledge of, at any rate, the coastal districts of the continent than Matthew Flinders, to whom we owe its present name. Though we are concerned only with his connection with the west, he was responsible for the discovery of practically the whole of the south coast. In many respects Flinders was not unlike Dampier—if we except the latter's buccaneering proclivities. Bold and intrepid as an explorer, he was at the same time a careful observer, shrewd and painstaking, as well as accurate in detail, so that the information he procured proved of the greatest value in extending the vague knowledge then existing concerning this still practically unknown country.
Flinders left Spithead on July 18, 1801, in the "Investigator," the old "Xenophon," a sloop of 344 tons. On November 6 he reached what he termed Cape Leeuwin, as being the south-western and most projecting part of Leeuwin Land, and from there to King George III. Sound, where he arrived on December 9, carefully surveyed the intermediate coast, naming various points. He remained at the Sound for some days, which were spent in charting Princess Royal and Oyster Harbours, and in establishing friendly relations with the