124 THE DETENTION OF FLINDERS AT THE MAURITIUS. 



captivity, but to the French Government at Paris. For in 

 the communique of the Grovernmeut in the Moniteur of the 

 22 Messidor, An, XII. (Llth July, 1804) on the subject of 

 the arrest, detention and falsely reported release of Flinders, 

 it is said: — "In fine, the passport granted to M. Flinders did 

 not admit of any equivocation upon the objects of the 

 expedition for which it was given ; but we read in one part of 

 his journal tliat he suspected the war ; and in another, that 

 hie had resolved to touch at the Isle of France as well in the 

 liope of selling his vessel advantageously, as from the desire 

 of knowing the present state of that colony, and the utility of 

 which it and its dependencies in Madagascar could be to Port 

 Jackson." Now is this language compatible with the 

 existence of King's despatch among Flinders' papers? If 

 Flinders had carried what was clearly contraband of war, 

 would the French Government have been content with the 

 above lame apology for his arrest ? There can be but one 

 answer. 



No ! De Caen's conduct admits of no palliation. It brands 

 him with everlasting infamy. The finding of King's despatch 

 after he had arrested Flinders, would not much exonerate 

 him. When Baudin came to Sydney was he arrested, and 

 his ship searched for compromising documents to justify the 

 arrest ? I am only sorry an Australian should attempt to 

 whitewash De Caen by a method which, if successful, would 

 tarnish the memory of Flinders. 



Discussion. 



Mr. J. B. Walker said that Mr. Mault had undoubtedly 

 made out a good case, but there was independent evidence to 

 show that Flinders did carry despatches to the Secretary of 

 State. Amongst the State papers in the Record Ofiice, lately 

 copied by Mr. Bonwick for the Tasmanian Government, was 

 a despatch from Governor King to Lord Hobart, dated 8th 

 October, 1803, in which the Governor refers to previous 

 ■despatches sent by the Cumberland. What was the nature 

 of these despatches did not appear, but they probably related 

 to Flinders' explorations, and were not in any way a violation 

 of the conditions of his safe conduct from the French Govern- 

 ment. Mr. Mault's strongest argument— indeed, an un- 

 answerable argument — was, that if these despatches had been, 

 of the compromising character suggested by the writer of the 

 pamphlet on the Brabourne Papers, Governor De Caen would 

 have produced them in evidence against Flinders as a complete 

 justification of the detention, and would not have been driven 

 to find a paltry excuse in an entry in Flinders' journal. In 

 any case Flinders' himself was without blame in the matter. 



