CHAPTER XVIII 

 FLINDERS, continued 



WITH THE "INVESTIGATOR," FROM SYDNEY TO THE GULF 

 OF CARPENTARIA, 1802 



THE " INVESTIGATOR " AND THE " LADY NELSON " SET OUT FOR TORRES STRAIT. THE 

 " LADY NELSON " FOUND UNSUITABLE AND SENT BACK TO SYDNEY. " INVESTIGATOR" 

 CONTINUES VOYAGE NORTHWARD. PORT CURTIS. PERCY ISLANDS. PANDORA 

 ENTRANCE. MURRAY ISLANDS. BARTER WITH NATIVES. SOUTH-WESTWARD. 

 HALFWAY ISLAND. MOUNT ADOLPHUS ISLANDS SEEN. DOUBLE ISLAND. 

 WEDNESDAY ISLAND. THROUGH PRINCE OF WALES CHANNEL. GOOD ISLAND 

 NAMED. LANDING. FLINDERS OBSERVES INDICATIONS OF COPPER. BOOBY ISLAND. 

 FLINDERS LOOKS INTO COOK'S ENDEAVOUR STRAIT, WHICH HE MISIDENTIFIES WITH 

 THE " PERA'S " VAN SPULT INLET. SOUTHWARD. WALLIS ISLAND AND SHOALS. 

 WESTWARD OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND. SOUTHWARD AND SOUTH-EASTWARD. LAND- 

 FALL. SKARDON AND BATAVIA RIVERS. LANDING. NATIVES. MUTUAL SUS- 

 PICIONS. OPENING (TASMAN'S PRINCE INLET, LATER THE PENNEFATHER RIVER) 

 MISTAKEN FOR " PfiRA's " CoEN. FLINDERS* IMPERFECT SUPPLY OF CHARTS. 

 THEVENOT'S CHART. SOUTHWARD. DUYFKEN POINT. ALBATROSS BAY (TASMAN'S 

 VLIEGE BAAIJ). LOCATION OF RIVERS ENTERING THE BAY. SOUTHWARD. PERA 

 HEAD SEEN AND NAMED. ''PERA'S" COEN INLET PASSED UNNOTICED. RIJDER'S HOEK. 

 MOUTH OF ARCHER RIVER. THE "DUYFKEN'S" CAPE KEERWEER. SMOKES ON 

 SHORE. "PERA'S" VEREENICHDE INLET (Mourn OF LEICHHARDT'S MITCHELL RIVER). 

 ERRONEOUS IDENTIFICATION OF "PERA'S" NASSAU RIVER. MISIDENTIFICATION, IN 

 16 25' S., OF " PERA'S " STATEN RIVER. SMITHBURN RIVER, A MOUTH OF 

 LEICHHARDT'S GILBERT RIVER, ERRONEOUSLY IDENTIFIED WITH THE " PERA'S " 

 STATEN INLET (STOKES' ACCIDENT INLET AND THE " PERA " AND " AERNEM'S " 

 " FURTHEST SOUTH "). TASMAN'S CARON INLET MISIDENTIFIED. TASMAN'S VAN 

 DIEMEN INLET is THE MOUTH OF THE NORMAN RIVER. His VAN DER LIJN INLET 

 is THE " BYNOE " MOUTH OF THE FLINDERS RIVER. His CARON INLET is THE 

 PRINCIPAL MOUTH OF THE FLINDERS. FLINDERS MISTOOK THEM ALL. His 

 MISTAKES ACCEPTED BY STOKES AND PERPETUATED. His OWN CHARTING is ADMIR- 

 ABLE, BUT HIS COMPREHENSION OF THE INLETS MENTIONED BY CARSTENSZOON AND 

 TASMAN is ERRONEOUS. THIS is DUE TO THE INSUFFICIENCY OF THE DATA IN HIS 

 POSSESSION. THE " LADY NELSON" AGAIN IN TORRES STRAIT ON THE WAY TO 

 PORT ESSINGTON. 



THE " Investigator " having been repaired and refitted in 

 Sydney Harbour and a new master (John Aken) having 

 been appointed, it was decided, on consultation with 

 Governor King, that she should proceed to explore 

 TORRES STRAIT and the eastern side of the GULF OF CARPENTARIA, 

 accompanied by the "Lady Nelson" (Captain Murray). 



Flinders accordingly left Sydney on list July, 1802, with the 

 " Investigator " and " Lady Nelson." The latter a 6o-ton brig 



130 



