BY JAMES B. WALKER. 100 



the Geographe was unable to make the harbour, until 

 Governor King had sent the Investigator s boat with a 

 number of hands to work the vessel into port. It i; 

 hardly necessary to say that the distressed Frenehiiicii 

 wore I'eceived with the greatest kindness. The nuineroii ■; 

 sick \v( re removed to the Colonial Hospital, and tendoriy 

 cured for by the English surgeons. Whatever they had 

 need of that the place could furnish was placed at tlieir 

 di.-;))osa/, and the Governor gave the Commander an 

 uiiliuiited credit at the Public Treasury to enable him to 

 revictual and refit, and also purchase a third vessel. More Pcron, p. 377. 

 than this: the Colony was at the time in great want of 

 iresh ])rovisions, floods on the Hawkesbury having 

 destroyed the wheat harvest, salt meat was exceedingly 

 scarce, and fresh meat almost unprocurable ; yet so soon 

 as the strangers' necessities were knowji, (Government 

 oxen were killed, and by a common consent the ration of 

 wheat issued to garrison and inhabitants, including the 

 (J()vern» r and officers, was reduced one-half, s) that the 

 s«'urvy-s-tricken crew might not want what was su essential 

 for their recovery. This statement is made on tlie authority Flinders v«.y., 

 of a letter written by Baudin himself. Both he and Peron "•■i'-''"^- 

 bandso'.j.ely acknowledge the kindness they received, and 

 exhaust their phrases in describing the aff'oflionate and 

 obliging care of Governor King and his unexampled 

 conduct, the courtesy and unremitting attention of the 

 iidiabitants, the generosity of the Government, the absolute 

 freedom accorded to their movements, and the sentiments 

 of gratitude which these kindnesses inspired. 



1 have dwelt particularly on these incident.-;, not only 

 because it is matter of pardonable pride to record how 



{Treat decree, to the attention her captains jiaid to naval hygiene. 

 Tlie French discovery crews always suffered terribly from want 

 ol" proper precautions, and I'rom Peron's uccDunt liaudin's sliips 

 were miserably victualled, and their coinniunder (adpaldy indifferent 

 to the health of his men. Out of 23 scientific men who left France 

 ill tiie (id' graphe and Naturaliste only tlwec^ returned to their 

 country. Out of 219 men who saileil with D'Fntreeusteanx, 89 died 

 before the ships returned to Mauritius. Tlie rrencli vuyaees oi 

 discovery were singularly fiital to their commander."*. Besides Lu 

 Perouse, who perished with ail his ship's company, not one of the 

 commanders who vi.sited Tasmania lived to rt'turn t) his native 

 country. Marion du Fresne was killed at New Zealand. Admiral 

 D'Entrecasteaux died at sea off the Admiralty Isli s, and his .second 

 in command, Huon Kermadec, at New Caledoniu. JJaudin him.><elf 

 died at Mauritius on the voyage home. 



