240 Proceedings of Philosophical Societies. [Maren, 
“ Without doubt this expedition was thwarted in a thousand 
ways. We nay say, indeed, that no modern expedition was ever more 
disagreeable. But do not the results with which it has enriched the 
sciences render it so much the more honourable for those who have 
undertaken it, and pursued it with constancy?” This will no¢ be 
a question with those who, like us, read the whole work of which 
we announce the first volume, who follow the whole details, and 
pay attention to the methods of observation, of calculation, and 
execution, which the author explains with a detail and fidelity well 
calculated to inspire confidence. He always indicates the sources 
of his information, the authors of the descriptions which he adopts, 
and those of the journals which he was obliged to strain, and at 
times to conciliate, when they exhibited different opinions. 
An English navigator, to whose memory he pays a deserved 
homage, Capt. Flinders, has claimed the right of the first discovery 
relative to the south-west parts of New Holland; but in yielding 
this priority, which was never contested, either by Peron or him- 
self, M. Freycinet observes justly that he could have had no kuow- 
ledge of the labours of the English till after his return to France, 
and that the explanation of which he gives the history (and in 
which he took so active and honourable a part) was, notwithstand- 
ing, a labour of discovery. As to the names, it was impossible 
they could be the same, as there had been no communication be~ 
tween them. We know too well what is the custom of navigators 
in this respect, who often change the names imposed and published 
by their predecessors, which is without excuse. But Flinders and 
his countrymen did not do every thing; even after the French 
something remains to be done. When the examination is finished, 
when a complete account of these regions, at present so little 
known, shall be given, and of that difficult and dangerous naviga- 
tion, then an impartial division may be made, and the names of 
the lands, islands, peninsulas, bays, and capes, given by those who 
first saw and described them, and who first fixed the longitudes and 
latitudes, and the true position of the coasts, may be adopted. 
This volume is divided into four books. The first gives the itine~ 
vary and the general plan of the work. It is not in a voyage of. 
this kind that we are exposed to that dryness for which the author 
wishes to apologise beforehand. The dangers of every kind which 
follow sufficiently support the interest and attention of the reader. 
In this respect the expedition of Baudin offers some characters 
which are peculiar to it. ‘The part which the captain takes, to 
leave a boat sent by him to reconnoitre, his departure at the very 
instant when the galley Casuarina rejoined him, after an expedition 
for which he had only allowed 20 days, and the atfectation with 
which he appeared to avoid her when she followed him, when she 
was in sight, and almost within reach, would lead one to think that 
Baudin sought for opportunities to get rid of some of his associates, 
who were not all equally his own choice, because he was far from 
taking an equal interest in all the parts of the vast enterprize which 
