THE SUCCESSORS OF COOK 485 



geography, contained the whole coast of South Australia, 

 very nearly the whole coast of Victoria, and the North coast 

 and most of the West coast of Tasmania. Such coasts 

 were one possibility in the mind of the explorer. But 

 there were other possibilities of a peculiarly exciting 

 character. Here in this " unknown coast," if anywhere, 

 would be found the clue to the inexplicable riddle of 

 the continent ; the fact that apparently it had no rivers ! 

 It was " scarcely credible," writes Flinders, " that, if this 

 vast country were one connected mass of land, it should 

 riot contain some large rivers, and, if any, this unknown 

 part was one of the two remaining places * where they 

 were expected to discharge themselves into the sea." 

 If, on the other hand, as the apparent want of rivers seemed 

 to suggest, New Holland was in reality no continent, 

 but a group of islands, then one outlet of the separating 

 channels would most likely be found in " this unexplored 

 part of the South coast." If, once again, the true explana- 

 tion of the lack of rivers was that the interior was " princi- 

 pally occupied by a mediterranean sea," then the entrance 

 to this sea, if there w r as an entrance, might reasonably 

 be looked for in the same "unknown coast." 



Thus, when Cook had done his work, and ta'en his wages, Matthew 



much interest still remained in the study of Australian F lmders . 



J b. 1774. 



geography. It was an interest that touched not only 



men of science, but also merchants, and also statesmen ; 

 and not only the countrymen of Cook, but also the country- 

 men of de Brosses and Bougainville. It launched voyages 

 of discovery, both British and French, whose records 

 are among the most fascinating in the whole history of 

 exploration. But, for us, it is only possible to note the 

 facts which are of essential importance in the story of 

 exploration that we have followed ; and we will note 

 them mainly in connection with the central figure of this 

 last chapter, the boy of twenty-one, short, slight, alert, 

 with noble brow, almost black hair, and eyes dark, bright, 

 commanding, who sailed for Sydney on the Reliance 

 in 1795. 

 1 The second, apparently, being the region behind Rosemary Island. 



