By J. M. Black. 
97. 
S.A. NAT., VO I.. XV. 
June 12th, 1934. 
log. 
that 
“The botanists found the scan- 
of the other productions/ 5 It 
try,” says Flinders in his 
tiness of plants equal to 
should be explained that the “botanical gentlemen” were Robert 
Brown and Ferdinand Bauer, the natural history draftsman who 
had also been chosen by Sir Joseph Banks. “The scantiness of 
plants” can well be imagined by those who have visited the 
shores of the Great Australian Bight in summer. And yet Brown 
collected and named several new species, principally among plants 
of the saltbush type, which can endure heat and drought. He 
continued thus right round our coasts, making exhaustive collec¬ 
tions wherever he landed. The Murray Pine (Callitris glciuca) 
was discovered and named by him near Port Augusta. Further 
south a dramatic incident occurred, to which Encounter Bay owes 
its name. There, on the 8th April, 1802, a strange sail was sighted 
which proved to be a French exploring ship, the “Geqgraphe,” 
under command of Captain Baudin. When Flinders sailed from 
Spithead on 18th July of the previous year, England and France 
were still at war, but both commanders were supplied with 
by their respective Governments, certifying that their 
purely peaceful one. As a matter of fact the Peace 
had been patched up just a fortnight before the 
Encounter Bay, but of course neither captain knew 
French vessel flew the tricolor and an English Jack, 
while the “Investigator” hoisted the British colours and a white 
Hag. Flinders cautiously kept his broadside turned to the stran¬ 
ger until his pacific intentions were evident and then, lowered a 
boat and went aboard. He took Robert Brown as interpretei. 
but his services were not required, as Baudin spoke English aftei 
a fashion, and a friendly interview took place. Flinders and 
Brown were shocked to see the state to which the Fiench crev 
had been reduced through scurvy, owing to their diet of salt 
meat, weavily biscuits and bad water. The English captain 
insisted on scrupulous cleanliness in his own ship, saved out 
lime juice to his men and got fresh meat or fish for them when¬ 
ever it could be obtained. As a result his men were hale and 
hile the French were so ravaged by scurvy that very 
officers saw France again. Baudin himself 
hortly before the arrival in that island of 
a prisoner by the French Governor for 
Fortunately Brown did not accompany 
on that journey in the “Cumberland,” smaller 
leaky than the “Investigator,” which had pre- 
viouslv been condemned in Sydney as hopelessly rotten Yet 
in the stuffv cabin of this little boat of 334 tons burden, Brown 
passes 
task was a 
of Amiens 
meeting in 
this. The 
hearty, wi 
few of the crew or 
died in Mauritius s. 
Minders, who was kept 
more than six years, 
his old captain 
and even more 
