1815.] Flinders' Voyage to Terra Australis. 219 



Article XI. 



Analyses of Books. 



A Voyai^e to Terra Aitstralis, undertaken for the Purpose of 

 completing the Discovery of that vast Country, and prosecuted in 

 the Years 1801, 1802, and 1803, in his Majesty's Ship the Inves- 

 tigator; and subsequently in the armed Vessel Porpoise, and Cum- 

 berland Schooner. With an Account of the Shipwreck of the 

 Porpoise, arrival of the Cumberland at the Mauritius, and Impri- 

 sonment of the Commander during six Years and a half in that 

 Island. By Matthew Flinders, Commander of the Investigator. 

 In two Volumes, ivith an. Atlas. London, 1814. 



The charts which accompany tl)is work liave been constructed 

 with uncommon care, and are probably tlie most complete of their 

 kind hitherto published. The workmanship does great honour to 

 Captain Flindei's, and to the artists employed. 



Captain Flinders, by way of introduction to his own voyage, 

 gives a preliminary account of the previous discoveries made in the 

 Terra Australis by preceding voyagers. The north coast of New 

 Holland appears to have been discovered in KiOG, by the Duyfhen, 

 a Dutch yatch, dispatched from Bantam to explore the islands of 

 New Guinea. But the commander of this vessel was not aware of 

 the importance of his discovery, considering the country which he 

 observed as a part of New Guinea. Torres, a Spanish navigator, 

 saw it the same year ; but was as little conscious of the importance 

 of his discovery. His letter to the King of Spain remained un- 

 known, till a copy of it was found when Manilla was taken by the 

 British forces in \']62. Mr. Dalrymple made it known to the 

 public, and gave the name of Torres to the strait on the north- 

 east side of New Holland, through which that navigator appears to 

 have passed ; and this name has been generally adopted. Further 

 progress was made in the investigation of the north coast, by John 

 Carstens, in 1 (i2.3, by Gerrit Tomaz Pool and Pieterz Pieterzen, in 

 IWJ, and by three Dutch vessels, in 1705. 



In 177^^ Captain Cook sailed along the north coast, and ascer- 

 tained that New Guinea is not connected with New Holland. In 

 1791, Lieutenant M'Lure sailed along the north coast of New 

 Holland, and determined the position of several islands, shoals, 

 and projecting' points of land, Tliesc were all the navigators that 

 preceded Captain Flinders in his examination of the north coast. 

 But Captiiins Bligli and Porllock, in 17^2, and Messrs. Bampton 

 and Alt, in 17'-^''', sailed through Torres Straits, and added con- 

 siderably to our knowledge of that intricate navigation. 



The west coast of New Holland appears to have been first seen 

 by Dirk Hartog, conunander of the ship J'2iulragt, outward-bound 

 from Holland to India. He fell in with it in IGIG, about latitude 



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