THE SUCCESSORS OF COOK 509 



in fertile Dentrecasteaux Channel, to match the British 

 colony in barren Port Jackson ? True, the British had 

 formally annexed the whole Eastern coast from Cape York 

 to the South Cape of Van Diemen's Land. But it was 

 certain that a British Government, which was willing to make 

 peace by the cession of conquests like Cape Colony, would 

 not prolong the war in order to keep Van Diemen's Land. 

 These thoughts are not recorded, but it W 7 ould be strange 

 if French voyagers did not think them. It was a country, 

 wrote Baudin in 1802, " which ought not to be neglected, 

 and which a nation that does not love us does not look 

 upon with indifference." 



With these facts in mind, we can understand the meaning The motives 

 of the expedition which sailed under Baudin in October o-^ 

 1801. The plan of it was formed by French men of science, scientific, 

 who were organized in the " Institute of France " some- 

 what as British men of science were organized in the 

 Royal Society. It was, in its avowed purpose, solely 

 a voyage of curiosity, just as the voyages of Cook and of 

 Flinders, of Bougainville, Laperouse and Dentrecasteaux 

 had been solely voyages of curiosity. But, as with all 

 these other voyages, the curiosity was a national curiosity, 

 and was closely connected with national ambitions. Among 

 the members of the Institute was Bougainville, the aide- 

 de-camp of Montcalm, and the predecessor of Cook. And 

 among them too was the Comte de Fleurieu, who had written 

 the " Instructions" both of Laperouse and Dentrecasteaux, 

 who knew the problems of Pacific geography as well as 

 Flinders knew them, and who was almost as eager as he. 

 that the prize of discovery should fall to his own country; 

 men. And it was as a voyage of national curiosity that 

 Flinders thought of it, when he heard, in October 1800, 

 that Baudin had actually sailed, with instructions to do 

 precisely those things which Flinders had for years treasured 

 in mind as dearest objects of British quest. Baudin 

 was to make full and minute examination of the Australian 

 coasts, and especially he was to explore the Southern 

 coast, " where there is supposed to be a strait communi- 

 cating with the Gulf of Carpentaria, and which consequently 



