The Next Ship To
Pass The Heads Was The Cumberland, Which, Early In 1803, Entered With
Surveyor Grimes On Board, To Make The First Complete Survey Of The Port.
But By That Time Baudin Was Far Away.
From one or other of the two
available sources, therefore, Baudin must have obtained a drawing,
assuming that he
Did obtain one in Sydney; and if he did not, his sailing
past the port, when he had an opportunity of entering it in December, was
surely as extraordinary a piece of wilful negligence as is to be found in
the annals of exploration.
It is possible that Baudin or one of his officers saw some drawing made
on the Lady Nelson. If they saw one made by Murray himself, it is not
likely to have been a very good one. Murray was not a skilled
cartographer. Governor King, who liked him, and wished to secure
promotion for him, had to confess in writing to the Duke of Portland,
that he did not "possess the qualities of an astronomer and surveyor,"
which was putting the matter in a very friendly fashion. If a chart or
crude drawing by Murray had been obtained, Freycinet might still be glad
to get the Fame chart which he used.
Both in his book and his correspondence Flinders mentions having shown
charts to Baudin; and though the French commodore did not reciprocate by
showing any of his work to Flinders, we may fairly regard that as due to
reluctance to challenge comparisons.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 119 of 299
Words from 33070 to 33322
of 83218
