Terre Napoleón; a History of French Explorations and Projects in Australia

Ernest Scott

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• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 42
• Langue: English

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Title: Terre Napoleon
A history of French explorations and projects in Australia
Author: Ernest Scott
Release Date: February, 2005 [EBook #7450]
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TERRE NAPOLEON ***
Produced by Sue Asscher and Col Choat
TERRE NAPOLEON.
A HISTORY OF FRENCH EXPLORATIONS AND PROJECTS
IN AUSTRALIA
BYERNEST SCOTT.
LE GÉOGRAPHE AND LE NATURALISTE
From the drawing in Freycinet's Atlas of 1807.

WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS.
SECOND EDITION.
METHUEN & CO., LTD.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON.
FIRST PUBLISHED JULY 7TH, 1910.
SECOND EDITION 1911.MAP OF NEW HOLLAND (AUSTRALIA)
From Freycinet's Atlas of 1807.

PREFACE.
The main object of this book is to exhibit the facts relative to the expedition
despatched to Australia by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1800 to 1804, and to
consider certain opinions which have been for many years current regarding its
purpose.
Until about five years ago the writer accepted without doubt the conclusions
presented by leading authorities. One has to do that in regard to the vast mass
of historical material, because, obviously, however much disposed one may be
to form one's opinions on tested facts apart from the writings of historians,
several lifetimes would not be sufficient for a man to inquire for himself as to the
truth of a bare fraction of the conclusions with which research is concerned.
But it so happened that the writer was interested, for other reasons than those
disclosed in the following pages, in ascertaining exactly what was done by the
expedition commanded by Captain Nicolas Baudin on the coasts which were
labelled Terre Napoleon. On scrutinising the facts somewhat narrowly, he was
surprised to find that opinions accepted with unquestioning faith began to
crumble away for lack of evidence to support them.
So much is stated by way of showing that the book has not been written to
prove a conclusion formulated a priori, but with a sincere desire that the truth
about the matter should be known. We read much in modern books devoted to
the era of the Corsican about "the Napoleonic legend." There seems to be, just
here, a little sporadic Napoleonic legend, to which vitality has been given from
quarters whence have come some heavy blows at the larger one.
The plan adopted has been, after a preliminary sketch of the colonial situation
of Great Britain and France in the period under review, to bring upon the scene-
-the Terre Napoleon coasts--the discovery ship Investigator, despatched by theBritish Government at about the same time as Napoleon's vessels were
engaged upon their task, and to describe the meeting of the two captains,
Flinders and Baudin, in Encounter Bay. Next, the coasts denominated Terre
Napoleon are traversed, and an estimate is made of the original work done by
Baudin, and of the serious omissions for which he was to blame. A second part
of the subject is then entered upon. The origin of the expedition is traced, and
the ships are carefully followed throughout their voyage, with a view to elicit
whether there was, as alleged, a political purpose apart from the scientific work
for which the enterprise was undertaken at the instance of the Institute of
France.
The two main points which the book handles are: (1) whether Napoleon's
object was to acquire territory in Australia and to found "a second fatherland"
for the French there; and (2) whether it is true, as so often asserted, that the
French plagiarised Flinders' charts for the purpose of constructing their own. On
both these points conclusions are reached which are at variance with those
commonly presented; but the evidence is placed before the reader with
sufficient amplitude to enable him to arrive at a fair opinion on the facts, which,
the author believes, are faithfully stated.
A third point of some importance, and which is believed to be quite new, relates
to the representation of Port Phillip on the Terre Napoleon maps. It is a curious
fact that, much as has been written on the early history of Australia, no writer, so
far as the author is aware, has observed the marked conflict of evidence
between Captain Baudin and his own officers as to that port having been seen
by their discovery ships, and as to how the representation of it on the French
maps got there. Inasmuch as Port Phillip is the most important harbour in the
territory which was called Terre Napoleon, the matter is peculiarly interesting.
Yet, although the author has consulted more than a score of volumes in which
the expedition is mentioned, or its work dealt with at some length, not one of the
writers has pointed out this sharp contradiction in testimony, still less attempted
to account for it. It is to be feared that in the writing of Australian, as of much
other history, there has been on the part of authors a considerable amount of
"taking in each other's washing."
The table of comparative chronology is designed to enable the reader to see at
a glance the dates of the occurrences described in the book, side by side with
those of important events in the world at large. It is always an advantage, when
studying a particular piece of history, to have in mind other happenings of real
consequence pertaining to the period under review. Such a table should
remind us of what Freeman spoke of as the "unity and indivisibility of history," if
it does no more.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION.
A continent with a record of unruffled peace.
Causes of this variation from the usual course of history.
English and French colonisation during the Napoleonic wars.
The height of the Napoleonic empire and the entire loss of the French colonies.
The British colonial situation during the same period.
The colony at Port Jackson in 1800.
Its defencelessness.
The French squadron in the Indian Ocean.
Rear-Admiral Linois. The audacious exploit of Commodore Dance, andNapoleon's direction to "take Port Jackson" in 1810.
CHAPTER 1. FLINDERS AND THE INVESTIGATOR.
The Investigator at Kangaroo Island.
Thoroughness of Flinders' work.
His aims and methods.
His explorations; the theory of a Strait through Australia.
Completion of the map of the continents.
A direct succession of great navigators: Cook, Bligh, Flinders, and Franklin.
What Flinders learnt in the school of Cook: comparison between the healthy
condition of his crew and the scurvy-stricken company on the French vessels.
CHAPTER 2. THE AFFAIR OF ENCOUNTER BAY.
Meeting of the Investigator and Le Geographe in Encounter Bay.
Flinders cautious.
Interview of the two captains.
Péron's evidence.
The chart of Bass Strait.
Second interview: Baudin inquisitive.
Baudin's account of his explorations.
CHAPTER 3. PORT PHILLIP.
Conflict of evidence between Baudin, Péron, and Freycinet as to whether the
French ships had sighted Port Phillip.
Baudin's statement corroborated by documents.
Examination of Freycinet's statement.
The impossibility of doing what Péron and Freycinet asserted was done.
CHAPTER 4. TERRE NAPOLEON AND ITS NOMENCLATURE.
Imprisonment of Flinders in Mauritius.
The French atlas of 1807.
The French charts and the names upon them.
Hurried publication.
The allegation that Péron acted under pressure.
Freycinet's explanations.
His failure to meet the gravest charge.
Extent of the actual discoveries of Baudin, and nature of the country
discovered.
The French names in current use on the so-called Terre Napoleon coasts.
Difficulty of identifying features to which Baudin applied names.
Freycinet's perplexities.
The new atlas of 1817.
CHAPTER 5. DID THE FRENCH USE FLINDERS' CHARTS?
Assertions commonly made as to French plagiarism of Flinders' charts.
Lack of evidence to support the charges.
General Decaen and his career.
The facts as to Flinders' charts.
The sealed trunks.
The third log-book and its contents; detention of it by Decaen, and the reasonsfor his conduct.
Restoration of Flinders' papers, except the log-book and despatches.
Do Freycinet's charts show evidence of the use of Flinders' material?
How