Gaimard’s Lost Trousers

The journal account of a visit by the assistant surgeon of the Uranie to Shark Bay in 1818

Translated by

Paul Gibbard The University of Western Australia

2014

Translator’s note

The following is a translation from the French of pages 269 to 291 of the manuscript journal of Joseph-Paul Gaimard (1793-1858), who was assistant surgeon aboard the corvette Uranie and, after it was wrecked, the Physicienne, in the voyage of circum- navigation (1817-1820) commanded by Louis de Freycinet. This extract covers the Uranie’s visit to Shark Bay on the west coast of Australia in the latter part of 1818. The journal is housed at the State Library of Western Australia, Perth, shelfmark Q 910.41 MCC. I would like to thank the State Library of Western Australia Foundation for funding this translation and Elizabeth Gralton for transcribing the French text.

269

Crossing from the Isle of Bourbon to New Holland; Sojourn in Shark Bay, Endracht’s Land (2nd August to 26th September 1818)

1 At eight o’clock in the evening of the 2nd of August 1818, we got underway from the Saint-Paul road and made for the Australasian continent. At nine o’clock, a gunner, who was busy on the gunwale trying to close the port-lids, fell into the sea. Immediately all necessary measures were taken to rescue him. He grasped a rope, and was brought back on board without suffering any ill effects at all. On the 4th of August, an official count was made of the crew. On the 5th, we caught in our stern net several argonauts, commonly called paper natiluses, lyrate crustacea similar to those found in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, physaliae and salps. We saw Cape petrel and black petrel. On the 7th of August, Monsieur de Freycinet addressed the following letter to us:

Commander of the corvette Uranie to the military officers, medical officers, midshipmen and others belonging to the staff of the said corvette.

2 Messieurs, the long sojourn which we made in the Isle of France enabled you to compile curious and intriguing notes about a colony which, although it has long been inhabited, and frequently visited by Europeans, is not, for all that, as well known as it might be. The Isle of Bourbon, where we next landed, putting ashore at two of its principal harbours, will doubtless also have furnished you with material for interesting observations which, I do not doubt, you are eager to write up. According to the programme of work which we settled on for our voyage (a programme which I have already acquainted you with), each one of you is obliged to submit to me after departure a summary of his observations and particular enquiries. Messieurs, the object here is not to send me a report which is perfect in all its aspects, but

1 [Marginal note opposite this sentence] Departure from the Isle of Bourbon. 2 [Marginal note] Letter from Monsieur de Freycinet.

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3 simply to submit a copy of the notes that you have compiled. I enjoin you to add numerals beside your various notes which refer to the general table that you are familiar with. Messieurs, I would like these notes to be submitted during the present month of August, that is to say, before we arrive on fresh shores and are called to new tasks. I am honoured to offer you my compliments. Frigate captain. Commander. Signed, Louis de Freycinet. Corvette Uranie, at sea, 7th August 1818. P.S. This letter will be copied into the officers’ log and the midshipmen’s log.

On the 9th, the commander inspected the crew. We caught several salps which appear to belong to a new species; several crustacea with pedunculate eyes; the rear section of the bodies of these agile crustacea is curved and covered by a sort of carapace which is rectangular in shape, convex on the upper surface, and concave below. The commander has appointed Monsieur Adam, who came aboard at the Isle of France, to the position of midshipman. Monsieur Taunay no longer serves as an apprentice helmsman; he is now the assistant draftsman. On the 10th, we caught in the stern net a small shark, eight inches in length, and a large number of salps belonging to a new species. These medusae, which one might designate bicorn salps, are remarkable for the two protrusions or horns eight to nine lines long situated on each side of the posterior aperture and which end in a sharp point and contain small greenish spots within them which run right to the tip. The anterior aperture, through which water enters, and yet which is not the mouth, is bilabiate, large, truncated and slightly ciliate on one side. The nucleus occupies the lower two thirds of the animal. Located next to this is a dense, transparent, cartilaginous protuberance, which does not bear any spines – unlike the mantle which is covered in them. The heart is located beneath this protuberance. The outer tunic displays sixteen or seventeen transversal bands of muscle which cover the mollusc in a regular arrangement, and continue to grow after its death. These medusae, which have been drawn by Monsieur Taunay, were generally around four inches long. They were caught in longitude 48° 58’ 24” east and latitude 27° 44’ 40” south. On the same day we caught other salps which are quite similar to our Mediterranean ones, along with a new spindle-shaped mollusc which had two small fins at one end, and a membranous mouth at the other. After it had been sketched, it was preserved in spirits of wine. We continued to see Cape petrel and black petrel.

3 [Marginal note] 1818. August.

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4 On the 11th, a marine named Bousquet, who had boarded at the Isle of Bourbon, succumbed to acute enteritis accompanied by very severe inflammation of the mucous membrane of the colon. I shall describe the details of his illness in the section ‘Medicine’.5 We caught several bicorn salps and saw petrels which had black backs, white bellies and touches of brown on their heads. On the 12th, we made an autopsy of the corpse before it was buried at sea. My report will be included elsewhere. We caught specimens of salp, diphyes, firole, stephanomia, , and very beautiful round medusae. Several diphyae were found in pairs. Is the small aperture on these zoophytes indeed the mouth, as Monsieur Cuvier believes?... Some of the firoles were white and others had brown spots. All of them had clearly discernible eyes and nerve endings. Drawings were made of them. On the 13th, we caught a shark which was nine feet eight inches long. Its stomach, which was three feet in length, contained the remains of a semi-digested cuttlefish. Its small intestine was two feet eight inches long; its large intestine, three feet three inches; the lobes of its liver, two feet three inches. We preserved in spirits of wine several small worms which were attached to its biliary organ. We observed that this shark was not, as sharks ordinarily are, accompanied by a pilot fish. I preserved the shark’s jaw; it did not have as many teeth as the one which we have already sent the Museum. On the same day, we saw Cape petrel and black petrel. The gunners practised firing the carronades. The calm weather which prevailed enabled us to catch clios and attractive medusae. On the 14th, we found a and some diphyae in our net. We saw petrels and an albatross. On the 15th, a blast on a whistle signalled the start of a celebration in honour of the corvette Uranie. Far from our point of departure in Toulon, our ship was placed under the protection of the Virgin Mary. We saw another vessel and an enormous whale, and caught several very large bicorn salps. 6 Having been proposed on the 10th of August, an epicurean society was finally established. In accordance with the statutes of our club, each one of us was obliged to choose two days of the year as dedicated festive days. I chose the 22nd of July, which is St Mary Magdalene’s day, and the 31st of January, which is my birthday. On the 17th, we saw whales and petrels. In the afternoon the gunners practised firing the carronades. On the 18th, we sighted an albatross, some black petrels, and other petrels which were yellowish-brown on their upper side, white on their underside, and had pointed wings and a black marking on the head. We went along at nine to ten knots, and saw a great many porpoises come and go from the corvette’s bow. This observation should give an indication of their agility.

4 [Marginal note] Death of Bousquet. 5 [Translator’s note] See below, pp. 287-88. 6 [Marginal note] Epicurean society.

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7 At eight o’clock in the evening of the same day, we came up two quarters to windward, and headed east-quarter-south-east. Until that moment we had thought the commander was sailing for King George Sound in Nuyts’ Land. After this change of course, we presumed that we were making for Shark Bay in Endracht’s Land. There is no fresh water in the latter harbour, and so our ironsmiths are busy assembling a still that is to be housed in the battery. It was originally set up in the hold, but the heat was much too great there, and, in any case, there was a more considerable risk of fire. These are doubtless the reasons why our commander has ordered the above-mentioned arrangement. We have every grounds to believe that the still will prove extremely valuable to us at the various places along the New Holland coastline where we may go ashore. I will speak further of it when we have enjoyed the benefits that it promises. On the 19th and 20th, we continued to see Cape petrel and other species of petrel. 8 On the 20th, Monsieur Bérard, midshipman first-class, a charming, well-educated young man, had an unfortunate accident. As he was descending from the deck to the battery, he slipped at the foot of the ladder and fell on his head. The fall, in which he struck the right temporoparietal region, was not followed by loss of consciousness, but soon afterwards he experienced a severe headache. Bleeding of the saphena vein, purgatives, vesicatories, and mustard foot-baths sufficed to effect a cure which was complete ten days after the accident. 9 On the 21st, the sea was stormy and the ship was rolling awkwardly. Monsieur Tournier, chief helmsman, having gone into the battery to write, was sitting next to the midshipmen’s grating. He was thrown to the floor when the ship rolled violently. As he fell, he pulled over a table which landed on his right hand, the fourth and fifth fingers of which had caught in the grating. The fourth metacarpal bone was fractured in its upper third, and the pain was very great. Crepitus confirmed the presence of a fracture. His hand was wrapped in resolvent compresses and supported on a splint with a suitable bandage, and was frequently bathed with vegeto-mineral water. After twenty days the callus had formed and the cure was complete. On the 24th, the commander informed me of several plans concerning Shark Bay and the Mariana Islands. He told me that Monsieur Duperrey is to explore a part of the bay

7 [Marginal note] 1818. August. 8 [Marginal note] Monsieur Bérard’s fall. 9 [Marginal note] Monsieur Tournier’s fall.

273 which nobody has yet visited. Monsieur Fabré will go to Dirk Hartog Island to rectify several incorrect bearings. One of the medical officers will join the latter party and will collect objects of natural history. Our stay in Shark Bay will last no more than a few days, during which turtles will be caught and a large quantity of fish salted. Monsieur de Freycinet wishes to stop for a long period in the Mariana Islands, which have not yet been visited by any travelling naturalists. 10 At seven o’clock in the evening we paid a visit to our commander, on the occasion of his saint’s day. Monsieur Lamarche, the first lieutenant, spoke on our behalf, and offered him the best wishes of the staff. Monsieur de Freycinet replied that it was a great pleasure to see us and that during our crossing he intended to demonstrate the great affection he bore us. On the 25th, we celebrated the saint’s day of our monarch and the leader of our expedition. The sailors offered their best wishes to the commander, who acknowledged these fittingly and spoke of the rewards which awaited them at the end of the voyage. The crew were given double rations, and in the evening there was dancing on the quarter-deck. We saw several petrels which had black wings and white bodies. On the 29th, the dead calm which prevailed gave promise of an abundant haul of molluscs, and our expectation was not disappointed. Hanging from the sides of the ship, we used cast nets to catch a large number of physaliae, protei and several salps which were -like in shape, having two tails and four tentacles, and bearing some similarity to the oval beroe from the Cape of Good Hope. During the calm, especially at midday, the sea appeared muddy and dirty, and took on the appearance of rather dirty milk coffee. In the evening we caught two small creatures in the stern net which were gelatinous, soft, etc. I will provide a description of them in the section ‘Natural History’.11 On the 30th, we caught physaliae, beroe-shaped salps, a physsophora and several new molluscs whose descriptions I will provide elsewhere. On the 31st, we caught specimens of proteus, firoles, several beautiful medusae, some very pretty small crustacea, etc., in the net hung from the corvette’s stern. 12 It was a very great pleasure to watch the cheerful bustle of activity aboard the Uranie. Our battery looked rather like a dockyard: the mason, smiths and carpenters all worked with great enthusiasm, most of them being engaged in completing installation of the still which will provide such great benefits in Shark Bay. On the same day we caught several firoles and saw Cape petrel and black petrel.

10 [Marginal note] A visit to Monsieur de Freycinet. 11 [Translator’s note] See below, p. 284. 12 [Marginal note] Activity aboard the Uranie.

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13 On the 1st of September 1818, the commander urged the hands to greater speed and oversaw all work on the still. 14 When they had difficulty understanding or carrying out what needed to be done, he patiently explained things. After installation of the still, the temperature in the battery will necessarily increase, while there will be a considerable reduction in the dampness which pervades it constantly – even though the forge helps to dry it out a little. I have resolved to carry out several experiments in order to measure the precise thermometric and hygrometric disparities between different parts of the corvette. It is advantageous to repeat the experiments which Péron performed so carefully, especially as this is a voyage of circumnavigation, and promises to offer, in this respect, the most gratifying results. Between the 2nd and the 9th we caught several species of salp, specimens of physalia, diphyes, proteus, firole, phronyma, and beroe, along with various small crustacea. During this period we saw black petrel, other petrel with white bodies, Cape petrel, several albatross and some porpoises. On the 10th, we saw a whale and a reddish-yellow fish which was five feet in length. We began the distillation of sea-water. This had been progressing well when an unfortunate accident intervened. 15 The chimney was made out of two copper pipes. A gap of around two inches separated the inner pipe from the outer one, and the space in between had been filled with material which was not conductive of heat. As there were not enough bricks, coal was placed, by mistake, in the upper section of the gap between the two pipes. Towards two-thirty in the afternoon, the coal was set alight by heat from the inner pipe, and this caused several planks on the ship’s upper deck to catch fire. The fire was detected in time, and the accident caused no further damage. The commander slightly burned his right hand when he grasped one of the iron bars on the grating. At six o’clock in the evening we saw several yellowish fuci, which indicated that we were close to land. 16 On our arrival at Endracht’s Land we undoubtedly found ourselves in a position which no previous navigator had experienced. We had almost entirely exhausted our supply of water, and were about to go ashore on an inhospitable coastline where we knew we would not find even the smallest trickle of fresh water. And yet, on board ship, we were not at all troubled by this state of affairs. Water was not even rationed. What was the reason for this?… We had our still. 17 At one-thirty in the afternoon of the 11th, we sighted land. At first it was just a black dot. Little by little it became more distinct, and appeared greyish and low. It was marked by a line just above the level of the horizon stretching evenly as far as the eye could see. At four o’clock

13 [Marginal note] 1818. September. 14 [Marginal note] Monsieur de Freycinet supervises the hands’ efforts. 15 [Marginal note] Distillation of sea-water, interrupted by an accident. 16 [Marginal note] Our singular position aboard the Uranie. 17 [Marginal note] Sighting of Edel’s Land.

275 we sighted the white sand of the shoreline. We were running alongside a large bay which formed part of Edel’s Land – it may have been Gantheaume Bay. ‘So that’s New Holland,’ we said to ourselves. ‘The land we have been dreaming about!’ Our desires are set to be fulfilled. We are about to see men of nature, savages, beings far removed from any form of civilization. We shall try to examine them closely, establish relations between them and ourselves, converse with them by means of gestures, and try to understand, if possible, what they feel when they see us. We will offer them gifts, and count ourselves fortunate if we are occasionally able to obtain some of their weapons, fishing implements, etc., in exchange for our mirrors, knives, etc. We do not know what events await us on this land which our countrymen have already explored. Our geographical work will begin there; our anthropological and natural history excursions are set to become more fascinating. During the day of the 11th we saw albatross, black petrel, whales and a turtle. The coast we ran along on the 12th remained dry, grey and low. Breakers could be seen not far from land; mountains of foam rose into the air. 18 At two o’clock in the afternoon we made out Cape Inscription on Dirk Hartog Island and Point Saint-Cricq on Dorre Island. 19 After rounding Cape Levillain, we anchored in Shark Bay at five-twenty in the evening in eleven fathoms of water on a bottom of sand and broken shell. At eight o’clock in the evening the fire for the still was lit. The still ran constantly until a quarter to eleven the following morning, and produced two thirds of a measure and three breakers of fresh water. One of the coils was not working. During the day we saw flying fish, a great many whales, white boobies and Cape petrel. 20 At nine o’clock in the morning of the 13th, the commander’s boat was dispatched, with Monsieur Fabré in charge, to establish the exact position of several places on Dirk Hartog Island and to remove the lead plaque left by the first Dutchmen who went ashore on the island. Messieurs Quoy, Ferrand and Taunay formed part of the expedition: the first of these gentlemen was to study the island’s natural history; the second, to carry out astronomical observations with Monsieur Fabré; and the third went as a draftsman. The crew were given two days’ provisions and two barrels of distilled water. The fire for the still was extinguished so that one of the condensers could be fixed, and, more especially, because of the great heat in the orlop deck, just below the still. The heat was so intense in that spot that you could not put your hand to it. Several planks of wood were removed to check that the deck had not started to burn. They were replaced with clay and lead plating.

18 [Marginal note] Sighting of Dirk Hartog and Dorre Islands. 19 [Marginal note] Anchorage in Shark Bay, Endracht’s Land. 20 [Marginal note] Excursion to Dirk Hartog Island.

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21 At eleven o’clock in the morning, we got underway under topsails. Soundings were taken every seven or eight minutes, and showed between five and fifteen fathoms. At three o’clock in the afternoon we made out very clearly Péron Peninsula, Cape Lesueur and Shoal Point, which enclose Dampier Bay. All this part of the coastline is a very remarkable carmine-red in colour. We saw several whales and a large number of white boobies which the sailors referred to as ‘ducks’. 22 At ten minutes past six we dropped anchor in Dampier Bay in five and a half fathoms of water, on a bottom of very firm, fine white sand. Cape Lesueur lies at a bearing of south 21° east and Shoal Point at east 45° north. On the morning of the 14th the boats were lowered. At midday the longboat, laden with all that was required for setting up the observatory and the still on land, was dispatched under the command of Messieurs Labiche and Pellion. It ran aground at low tide a mile from land. At midnight, with the tide now high, it came into the shore and all the items it was carrying were unloaded. Aboard the corvette, twenty-one breakers of distilled water were obtained in nineteen hours. Messieurs Gaudichaud, Pellion, Bérard, Dubaut and myself took turns in directing the operation of the still, while Monsieur de Freycinet carefully watched over everything. At six-thirty in the morning of the 15th, Messieurs Duperrey and Dubaut set out in the large boat with the aim of visiting Faure Island, catching sea turtles, and exploring the eastern part of Shark Bay. Between seven o’clock in the morning and seven o’clock in the evening the still on the corvette produced three third measures of fresh water. On the 16th, Monsieur and Madame de Freycinet and several members of the staff went ashore. The camp which had been set up in Dampier Bay was moved further south. Several sharks were caught. The still produced the same amount of fresh water as the previous day. We began to grow concerned about the gentlemen who had been sent to Dirk Hartog Island, and carried only two days’ supplies with them. 23 At seven o’clock in the morning of the 17th, a year to the day since our departure from Toulon, Monsieur Lamarche was about to set off to Dirk Hartog Island – in order to render assistance to those who had gone there in the commander’s boat – when he suffered a nervous affection with loss of consciousness, frothing at the mouth, and stiffness and convulsion of the limbs. The officer had been suffering from pharyngeal angina and had just taken a gargle which I had prepared. I was called immediately, and was told that he had been poisoned. I asked what he had drunk, and a servant replied: ‘What you gave him.’ In order to dispel any such suspicion, I had the bottle containing the gargle brought to me and I

21 [Marginal note] 1818. September. 22 [Marginal note] Anchorage in Dampier Bay. 23 [Marginal note] Monsieur Lamarche suffers an accident.

277 drank down several glasses of it one after the other. ‘That’s my answer to you,’ I said to those who talked of poisoning. I administered my analgesic mixture to Monsieur Lamarche. Scarcely had he regained his senses than he complained of a severe headache. Vinegar-soaked compresses were applied to his forehead; in the evening, he had a mustard foot-bath. Monsieur Lamarche made a prompt recovery; it was the first time he had suffered from an ailment of this kind. At eight o’clock Monsieur Pellion left in the longboat to look for the commander’s boat, carrying with him ten days’ supplies. By six o’clock in the evening, both boats had returned to the corvette. The gentlemen and their crew had suffered terribly from thirst. On the same day, a large still was set up on shore. The small still which had already been working for several days was, by itself, sufficient to meet the needs of the camp.

Account of an Excursion in Endracht’s Land, New Holland, in September 1818

24 From the moment we arrived on the continent of New Holland, I had greatly desired to make an excursion into the interior of Péron Peninsula – which compels our attention as it is completely devoid of fresh water, and has several interesting geological features.25 When the savages appeared close to our observatory, I was strengthened in my resolve to observe these unfortunate denizens in their huts, to examine closely their various means of subsistence, and to discover especially whether sea-water was indeed their usual drink. Excited by my keen purpose, I went ashore on the 18th of September 1818, armed with a hunting gun, a sabre and two pocket pistols. Messieurs Railliard, midshipman first-class, Gabert, the commander’s secretary, and Bonnet, the boatswain, who were also well- armed, accompanied me, and we set out immediately from the camp which the commander had set up on the shore of Dampier Bay. It was then half an hour after midday. Clouds covered the horizon, which led us to believe that our excursion would be spared the fierce heat that can be encountered on the sandy ground here. When we reached the top of the dune which extends along the entire coastline, we made out a large lake in the distance, and directed our steps towards it. The ground was covered with scrub, and, in order to make progress, we were continually obliged to take detours this way and that. At one-thirty, we saw two dry lakes, almost circular in shape, which must have been about five or six hundred feet in diameter. At that moment, we caught sight of a greyish kangaroo, which was about the size of a large hare, and easily recognizable by the unequal length of its limbs and by its way of moving. At a quarter past two we crossed a third dry lake. The soil which covered its entire surface was mixed with sand. I gathered and conserved a few ounces of it. Having arrived at the edge of the large salt lake at two twenty-five, we made a halt under a species of Laurus, rested and had some food.

24 [Marginal note] Excursion on Péron Peninsula. 25 [Author’s footnote] These relate to the ‘extraordinary incrustations’ which Péron discusses. See page 87 of the present journal.

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26 In the sand we saw footprints which had recently been left by some of the savages. These are several of the dimensions which I noted:

From the heel to the tip of the big toe: 10 inches, 1 line. The width of the sole at its broadest point: 4 inches, 1 line. The width of the heel: 2 inches, 8 lines.

Another footprint offered the following:

Length: 9 inches, 1 line. Width of the sole: 4 inches. Width of the heel: 2 inches, 6 lines.

At five minutes past three we set off to walk around the lake, which appeared to be oval in shape. We were of the view that it would take three or four hours at most to complete this journey. In the sand we saw the tracks of a quadruped which must have been a member of the dog family. A number of birds came close enough for us to be able to identify them: these were small fly-catchers, white boobies with brown backs, white gulls and cormorants. 27 At half past four we came upon several huts which were similar to the ones seen not far from the Uranie’s observatory. Their average height was three feet eleven inches, with a diameter of four feet ten inches. As the huts are so small in size, and have so little room inside, it is clear that the natives have to crouch constantly when using these miserable structures. In the same place we observed a smaller type of hut which contained wood and dry plants, and whose purpose seemed to be for fire- making. At five o’clock we made a stop in the huts I have just mentioned and noticed several fishbones in the ashes. Fish are probably the principal food of the inhabitants of Péron Peninsula. We ate a frugal meal consisting of a piece of biscuit and half a glass of water and wine. After resting for a quarter of an hour, we continued on our way. I proposed to my companions that we head towards the isthmus, and I emphasized, perhaps unwisely, the rewards that might be gained from this excursion if we continued inland. I had forgotten, when I made this suggestion, that our small supply of food and drink was almost entirely exhausted. However, I bowed to the opinion of these gentlemen who considered it more prudent to complete the circuit of the lake and then to return to the place we had set out from. We walked quickly and soon realized that appearances had been deceptive. We felt an equal measure of astonishment and despair as we saw this mighty lake spread out before us, scarcely varying in its aspect, and

26 [Marginal note] 1818. September. 27 [Marginal drawing of two huts, accompanied by a note] Native huts from Péron Peninsula.

279 appalling in its extent. Night fell. At half past seven, exhausted and fearful of getting lost, we climbed a dune and found welcome shelter on its far side. We lit a large fire, and spent the night in this place; as a precaution, we took turns in keeping watch. Dried out by the baking sun, the bushes and brushwood around us could be broken up and uprooted with great ease. We used these as fuel and kept our fire burning until daybreak. Among the ashes I found a small rat which I collected and took with me. As I was unable to return on board ship as soon as I had expected, it began to rot, and I was obliged to throw it away. At five o’clock in the morning of the 19th, Messieurs Railliard and Bonnet climbed the dune, but were unable to recognize any part of the lake that spread out before them. ‘What direction shall we take?’ I asked Monsieur Railliard. ‘North-east,’ he replied. ‘That’s the direction in which the corvette lies.’ Before leaving this place, I wished to check whether it might not be possible to determine the extent of the lake from the top of the dune. When I reached the highest point on the summit of the dune, I thought I could make out the place where we had made our first halt. Messieurs Railliard and Bonnet were already some distance away, and I called out to them, offering my opinion. I did not hear their answer. I moved forward, and seemed to make out the same edge of the lake we had walked along the previous day. ‘That’s where we were yesterday,’ I said to Monsieur Gabert, who was about thirty paces from me. I invited him to come over and take a look at the scene. He shared my opinion. It was essential then to verify this point; for, if our conjecture were well-founded, it would take us only two hours to return to camp. We had nothing left to drink. All that remained were a third of a biscuit and about half an ounce of sugar. We took several steps forward, and – completing our illusion – beheld a dry lake, circular in shape, in every respect similar to the one we had crossed. We were then convinced that we were on the right track. As our companions were drawing further away from us, we made the signal that we had agreed on should we become separated. I fired a shot, which, as we found out later, those gentlemen heard clearly. They made an answer, but we could not hear it. I fired several more shots, but to no avail. We set off at an angle so as to rejoin them as quickly as possible, but alas!… After walking for several hours at a rapid and gruelling pace, we despaired of ever being able to catch them. We had to weave about a great deal due to the scrub which covers this area of the peninsula. We began to grow less sure of the route we should follow. For my part, I no longer had any idea of the direction we should take to reach Dampier Bay,

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28 where our anchorage lay; nor was Monsieur Gabert able to offer any definite information. Before we had become separated, Monsieur Railliard had suggested that it lay to the north-east. As he was a midshipman and daily carried out astronomical observations, he ought to have known the position of the ship; and so we decided to heed his opinion. However, we only went in this direction for a short time. The going was extremely difficult, and we had to make so many detours, and retrace our steps so often, that after walking until two-thirty in the afternoon we came upon a vast stretch of water that we took to be the sea. We did not labour under this false impression for very long. We soon came to the sad realization that it was the same lake that we had seen before and walked part of the way around. The heat was intense and we were tormented by thirst. I had taken care to carry with me several small crystals of citric acid. When we placed the acid in our mouths, it refreshed us at first, and stimulated the flow of saliva, but soon afterwards produced a burning sensation on the tongue. Towards four o’clock, I killed a white gull, and cut it open immediately; its blood seemed to stave off our thirst for a moment. We were not as fortunate as Monsieur Riche, a naturalist on Monsieur d’Entrecasteaux’s expedition, who, when lost in Nuyts’ Land in 1792, came upon a fresh water spring, without which he would probably have perished. Realizing that we were completely lost, we resolved to walk around the lake, even though it might be a distance of twenty leagues, and by this means come again to the place where we first stopped. We were carrying out this plan with great enthusiasm when, at five o’clock in the evening, having climbed over a dune, we saw that this false lake opened into the sea. A glimpse of the Gorgon would not have produced a more rapid effect. Obstupui; steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit. Virg....29 Our situation had become dire and alarming. During the whole day, we had, strictly speaking, eaten and drunk nothing. Not a single drop of fresh water had refreshed our burning palates. We had walked ceaselessly beneath a fierce sun, amid the undergrowth or along the sand. Our legs were bleeding and our strength was declining. This arid, inhospitable land, the target of celestial anger, presented to us on all sides the terrors of thirst and hunger… Monsieur Gabert was suddenly struck by one of those flashes of illumination of which Bossuet speaks, and recalled that he had seen the sun set over Dirk Hartog Island – a detail that he had noted in the weather log… We decided then to head towards the west, and that, in order to reach Dampier Bay as quickly as possible, we would cross the inlet which is referred to as Lake Montbazin on the charts of Monsieur Louis de Freycinet. We found that we were too close to the place where the inlet opens into the sea. Its breadth was such that we,

28 [Marginal note] 1818. September. 29 [Translator’s note] See Virgil, , book 3, line 48 (‘I was astounded, my hair stood on end, and my voice stuck in my throat’) .

281 in our weakened state, were not capable of tackling such a crossing. When night fell we lay down under some bushes which could, if necessary, offer protection against the rain. It turned quite bitterly cold. Monsieur Gabert wore a fine hooded great-coat and sturdy woollen trousers. My own trousers, having been torn to pieces by the scrub, had fallen off me during the day. I had on only my drawers and a summer jacket. At ten o’clock in the evening we left this resting place. When we reached the summit of a dune which towered over all the others, I used my gun to light a huge fire – with the joint aim of banishing the cold from our numbed limbs and creating a signal which would enable us to be seen from afar, should anyone come looking for us. We cooked the gull which I had killed, but found it impossible to eat a single morsel. Thirst and fatigue had taken away our appetite. In imitation of St Basil, I boiled up sea-water in a coffee-pot, and we inhaled the steam in order to moisten our palates. When we noticed that our fire was going out, and that, in any case, we were exposed to the wind on this height, we went and sought shelter under some bushes, and awaited the dawn. At half past five in the morning of the 20th of September, Monsieur Gabert, an earlier riser than myself, awoke me, and we immediately made ready to cross the inlet. After covering around a quarter of a league, the quantity of water which we encountered forced us to retrace our steps, and rendered all our efforts futile. Twice we attempted the crossing; and twice we attempted it in vain. Burdened with the weight of our weapons and our clothing, it was impossible for us in our weakened state to swim the distance of half a league. I had taken the precaution of putting my supply of powder in my hat, and I had reason to be thankful for this, as Monsieur Gabert, who had neglected to do the same, found that his was so wet through that he was obliged to throw it away. Our lengthy swim, on this occasion, refreshed us and markedly relieved our thirst. We dried out our clothes for a moment, and I took the opportunity to have another dip, which almost completely restored my strength. We now had no other choice than to follow the shore of the inlet to its head, and then set off westwards in order to try and reach our anchorage before the end of the day. That is what we did, taking care always to walk in the water so as to calm the ravages of our thirst. We reached the head of the inlet at two o’clock in the afternoon, and rested there for a few moments. Exhausted and nearing the end of his strength, Monsieur Gabert regretfully abandoned the gun, cartridge pouch and priming horn that he was carrying. We followed the setting sun, and crossed another dry lake and fields covered with scrub that barred our way, and offered only

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30 uniform dreariness in all directions. Having left the Montbazin inlet behind, we were no longer able to take those salutary dips without which we would doubtless have perished… Hope sustained us. At last, we glimpsed the sea… Dirk Hartog Island… the corvette… ‘We’re saved!’ was the first cry we uttered… We fell into one another’s arms, and sank to our knees to give thanks to God. It was almost dark by the time we reached the camp. We continued to walk quickly, but were tormented by thirst. Our dry tongues were covered in the blackish coating which one observes with adynamic fevers. Our breathing was laboured and painful. Pale, haggard, and hollow-eyed, we appeared so wretched that our comrades almost feared for our lives. Messieurs Labiche, lieutenant, Requin, purser, Railliard, midshipman, looked after us as true friends. We were unable to eat; our thirst was insatiable. We drank vast amounts of tea, lemonade and water mixed with wine; we were treated with great care. We related to these gentlemen the circumstances surrounding our separation, and we learnt with gratitude that Monsieur de Freycinet, having grown anxious on our account, had sent Monsieur Ferrand, midshipman first-class, Monsieur Bonnet, boatswain, and two sailors carrying ample amounts of all necessary provisions, to look for us. Monsieur Arago, the expedition’s draftsman, was good enough to go with those whom the commander sent to our aid. We spent the night in the camp, and the next day, the 21st of September, we returned aboard the Uranie, where we recounted to Monsieur de Freycinet all the details that I have recorded here. That same evening, Messieurs Ferrand, Arago, etc., had gone back to the observatory. At the edge of the inlet they had found my trousers in shreds, which had caused them great concern.

Sketch of Montbazin Inlet, Péron Peninsula, Endracht’s Land

30 [Marginal note] 1818. September.

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On the 21st of September, Messieurs Duperrey and Dubaut returned from Faure Island with a turtle weighing 320 pounds. On the 22nd, the commander and the lieutenant went ashore and made preparations for the astronomical observations. On the 23rd, Messieurs Labiche and Ferrand set off in the large boat to determine the exact position of several points along the coast. On the 24th, Messieurs Lamarche and Labiche returned on board the Uranie, and the following day, the 25th, the observations were completed. The camp at Dampier Bay was packed up. We left on shore several objects which we thought might be of use to the natives, amongst others, two knives, one of which was pushed into a half-opened oyster in order to show the inhabitants of Péron Peninsula the use to which a knife may be put, along with the benefit that may be extracted from an oyster – for all indications are that the natives have no familiarity with this foodstuff, which can be found so abundantly along their coastline and which has such a subtle flavour that the gastronomes of Cancale would not look down on it. At three o’clock in the afternoon we departed. Monsieur Pellion and I were the last to leave Péron Peninsula. The sea was covered with our boats and sailors who were carrying tents, stills, casks, pickaxes and everything that we had had on shore. It was a lively and absorbing spectacle. The savages only appeared around our camp on the 15th and 16th of September. I had no chance to see them, despite my great desire to do so. According to the report of those of our gentlemen who were able to examine them closely, they are men small in stature, and of feeble constitution; they have black complexions, and hair which is black or painted red, and worn long and wound around the head like a turban. They have thin legs and rather large bellies. Several had vertical red stripes painted on their foreheads. They were completely naked. Among them was a young woman who carried a child on her back by means of a strap.

Natural History

31 Zoology. The physaliae which we caught on the 29th of August during our crossing from the Isle of Bourbon to New Holland had a bladder four or five inches in length. The wrinkled crest was topped with a very elegant pink ridge. Concerning the two extremities of the bladder: one had quite a considerable bulge which ended rather abruptly in a small hooked point; the other was much longer, conical in shape, and narrowed gradually to an end which had no hook. The tentacles were very numerous, pink in colour, or, more commonly, a beautiful blue, had a bead-like appearance, and seemed to have hoops similar to those found in the respiratory passages of salps. Along one side of each tentacle ran a long band of muscle which, by contracting and relaxing alternately, controls the tentacle’s various motions. On some occasions, tentacles retract by a movement along their whole length, only folding in on themselves

31 [Marginal note] Animals.

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32 at their base; on other occasions, they draw in by making a large number of plicatures along their whole length. The longest tentacles are rarely less than four or five feet long; these are generally the thickest. On touching the tentacles of physaliae, or galleys, with one’s hand, one feels a burning sensation similar to that of the stinging nettle. It would be valuable to understand the nature of such a caustic and ingenious faculty. I wonder whether the air contained within the bladder of this soft radiary is azotic gas?… If one steps on this creature when it is lying on the ground, it bursts making a noise similar to that of a carp’s bladder being crushed by a foot. If one pierces the outer membrane with scissors, the inner bladder immediately ruptures; if the slightest pressure is applied, it will be expelled completely. This intestine has several conical protuberances which extend into the cavity of the envelope, and at their crown appear similar to the insertion of the tentacle. These are the protuberances which Monsieur Cuvier has named ‘caeca’. The physaliae which I have discussed appear to be similar to the blue physalia (the Physalia Megalista of Péron and Lesueur). On the evening of the 29th of August, we caught two small, soft, gelatinous animals whose structure was more complex than a mollusc’s. One of them, which seemed a little damaged, had at one extremity a small, pointed head terminating in two mandibles which each bore very small teeth, visible even without the aid of a magnifying- glass. The two eyes could be seen very clearly, and were quite large relative to the size of the head. On each side, its body was divided into two sections along its length by a lateral line which was perhaps simply an interior canal starting behind the eye and extending to the posterior extremity of the animal. Is this a new species of small fish?… Is it a complete individual?… At the moment, I really do not know. What is certain is that we have found parts of this animal in several different localities – and had always presumed, as we had never seen its head, that they belonged to an unknown mollusc. It was drawn by Monsieur Taunay. On the 30th of August we caught a physsophora for the first time since we had left France. It resembled the Physsophora Muzonema of Péron. This animal, which is vesicular like physaliae, is not surmounted by a crest. It has a terminal air vessel, which is isolated and very obvious; several other bladders which are more or less round in shape separate the first bladder from the tentacles. These latter, which are conical, cylindrical or filiform, are far shorter than those of physaliae. As for the intermediary bladders – these terminate laterally in a circular aperture. Monsieur Lesueur would have it that this aperture is the mouth of each one of the animals which make up the physsophora. Monsieur de Lamarck does not share this view, and believes that the physsophora is a single individual whose

32 [Marginal note] 1818.

285 mouth would appear to be at the truncated base of its body. That same day, our net supplied us with a mollusc which appeared to differ from all those which we had encountered up to that point. It was gelatinous, soft, diaphanous, conical in shape, equipped with two lips, the upper one thick, and the lower one longer and tongue-shaped. On its inside, close to its larger end, there were two black points which could be taken for eyes. The outer membrane is completely covered with very small cartilaginous spots similar to those found on several salps; only at its smaller end is it devoid of these tubercles. A type of canal runs along the whole length of the animal’s interior, and this is undoubtedly where the respiratory and digestive processes take place. On the 31st of August, we caught an unknown animal which was entirely enclosed within a small, very thin, transparent shell, which was only five lines long, and had a single truncated aperture, convex in one direction and flat in the other. The shell is conical, truncated, and brilliantly coloured – some of the colours appearing metallic. In its living state, it has two palpi or types of fin similar to those found on the hyaloea; these emerge from the terminal aperture and extend on either side. The edges of these palpi are serrate. Monsieur Taunay has drawn this unique specimen, and it has been conserved in spirits of wine, and labelled no. 9. Animals of the genus Proteus are infusoria to which we cannot ascribe a fixed form. Their bodies change continually and take many different shapes in succession; at times they are round and compact, and at others divided and subdivided into strips, in the most bizarre manner. Of those we caught, some were circular and others conical. On the 1st of September we caught a very small crab which had two pedunculate blue eyes, a very evident tail, five legs on each side, including the claws, the last of its legs being dentate on the inner side, and it had four spots on its corselet, visible with the magnifying glass. The body and legs were a pinkish-yellow colour. The following items of natural history were collected during our sojourn in Shark Bay: Among the mammifers: a very small kangaroo rat; two rats; the jawbone of a cetacean and the jawbones of two walruses, from Péron Peninsula; several heads of an unknown quadruped which is more common on Dirk Hartog Island than on the peninsula. Among the birds: a pelican with black wings; an eagle; a booby with a white belly and a brown back; four grey and white gulls; a brown petrel; three cormorants with white bellies; three oyster-catchers, one of which was black; four common turtledoves from the peninsula; three terns; seven flycatchers; three flycatchers of the genus Muscipeta with white plastrons; three sugarbirds; and three sandpipers. We saw several other birds which

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33 we were unable to capture. 1) A curlew with a black body and white belly, which had a white stripe on each wing, and a beak and feet which were reddish-orange like those of the oystercatcher. This bird was very mistrustful of us, and appeared always with its mate, and was more common on Dirk Hartog Island than elsewhere. 2) Several crows, which were black all over, and had a more raucous cry than European crows. They were seen on the peninsula. 3) Small swallows which have white bellies, backs and collars. They appeared to live in holes in the sand on the peninsula. 4) Lastly, an unidentified bird seen in juvenile groups, greyish-brown in colour, about as big as a blackbird, white below the belly, with a white stripe on the tail that it holds a little spread out. Monsieur Quoy believes that this bird belongs to the order of magpies. Reptiles, fish, crustacea, molluscs, etc., contained in jars of spirits of wine, jar no. 46 holding twenty-five crustacea, portunians, ocypodes, hermit crabs, etc., from Shark Bay, along with four starfish and two cerites from the same place. No. 47, twenty fish: triggerfish, silurians?, pufferfish and others unidentified. No. 48, around twenty-five molluscs: aplysians, glauci, ascidians, spongiaries?, alcyonarians, holothurians, , arenicolae, etc., etc. No. 49, sea-anemones from Shark Bay, along with firoles, salps, medusae, diphyae, etc., caught during the crossing from the Isle of Bourbon to New Holland. No. 50, twelve shells with their animals, of which three are fresh water limpets from the Isles of France and Bourbon, and the other nine from Shark Bay; along with polyparia. No. 51, two young birds of prey ready to emerge from their eggs, from Dirk Hartog Island. No. 52, six lizards and two millipedes from Péron Peninsula and Dirk Hartog Island. No. 53, eleven molluscs, an open bulla, crepidulae with their animals, three unknown molluscs with internal shells, all of the same species, and another mollusc attached to a strand of zoster, etc., from Dirk Hartog Island. No. 54, a cask containing a cymbium with its animal from Shark Bay, and an Antarctic chimera from the Cape of Good Hope. Very large sea-anenomes, two inches in diameter, sit on the sand in three feet of water in Dampier Bay. Their feet dig into the sand and attach themselves to the roots of marine plants. Their bodies are orangy-red in colour and their numerous tentacles are of a greyish-blue-green; these latter are not very long. Fifty-three insects were collected.

34 Botany. The plants collected by Monsieur Gaudichaud on Péron Peninsula belong to the following families: Euphorbiaceae, Amaranthaceae, Malvaceae, Lauraceae, Orobanchaceae, Goodeniaceae, Gramineae, Leguminosae, Atripliceae, Myrtaceae, Apocynaceae, Compositae, Solanaceae, Boraginaceae, Asparagaceae, Cyperaceae, Jasmineae, two terrestrial Cryptogams from the lichen family and many marine plants of the genera Fucus, Conferva, Ceramium, etc.

Mineralogy. Our mineralogical collection is composed of curious incrustations, small stones and various blackened shells from Péron Peninsula. Case no. 2 contains sand from the bottom of Dampier Bay, salt collected from the dry lakes of the peninsula and samples of rock from Dirk Hartog Island. Packet no. 1, puddingstones from Shoal Point. No. 2, a collection of shell sandstone from the peninsula, gathered at sea level near the camp. No. 3, reddish sandstone from the peninsula. No. 4, shell sandstone and yellow arenaceous stones from the peninsula, collected near the camp of the Uranie.

33 [Marginal note] 1818. 34 [Marginal note] Plants and minerals.

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35 Barometric, thermometric and hygrometric observations. During our crossing from the Isle of Bourbon to New Holland, meteorological instruments, observed every two hours, offered the following maxima and minima: the barometer, [blank] the thermometer in the open air in the shade, [blank] the thermometer placed in seawater taken from the surface of the sea, [blank] and the hygrometer, [blank] During our stay in Shark Bay, the same instruments, observed in the same manner, offered the following extremes: the barometer, [blank] the thermometer in the open air in the shade, [blank] the thermometer placed in seawater taken from the surface of the sea, [blank] and the hygrometer, [blank]

36 Medicine. The abbé de Guélen, our chaplain, had an attack of indigestion during the night of the 21st of September. Spontaneous vomiting of bilious matter, facilitated by the ingestion of warm water, was followed my marked relief. Atony of the digestive organ was combatted with wine of absinth and tincture of gentian. By the 10th of October next, the abbé was cured. At the end of August and during the first days of September, Daré, the boatswain’s mate, had a slight catarrh accompanied by intense pain inside the ear. Sweet gummed barley-water and emollient injections sufficed to effect the cure. Lerat, the master armourer, worked very hard during our stay in Shark Bay in setting up the still on shore. He felt the effects of the heat by day and the cold by night. On one occasion he spent quite a long while in the water. He experienced gastric symptoms which yielded to the administration of antimonial tartrate of potash; bitters completed the cure. Leguet, a sailor, had suffered from urinary incompetence since 1809. While a prisoner in England, he had been fearful of the numerous bleedings practised by English doctors, and had declined to request their assistance and enter hospital. At the end of September he found the ration of water insufficient, and drank abundantly of salt water. As the flow of urine had become more copious than usual, a vesicatory was applied to the hypogastric region, sweet gummed barley-water was administered, and Leguet was quickly restored to his habitual state. Malcoste, a sailor, drank several bottles of sea-water in a single day, and felt unwell. He had a fever and a slight case of diarrhoea. Citric lemonade and a suitable diet sufficed to restore him to health. Réroux, a sailor, was indisposed for the same reason, and was restored to health in the same manner. Bousquet, a gunner, suffered acute enteritis accompanied by extreme inflammation

35 [Marginal note] Meteorological observations. 36 [Marginal note] Medical notes.

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37 of the mucous membrane of the colon. On the 2nd of August, profuse diarrhoea, abdominal pain; on the 3rd, frequent, bloody stools, and very intense abdominal pain (sweet barley-water, emollient fomentation applied to the abdomen, bleeding of the arm). On the 4th, extreme thirst, stools still frequent and bloody, with tenesmus (sweet gummed barley-water, potion of laudanum, baths). Warm baths afforded momentary relief, but did not reduce the profusion of stools, which resembled the lees of red wine. On the 5th and 6th, the same prescriptions were made. On the 7th, ‘chicken’s milk’ with laudanum. (The patient had vomited up the chicken’s milk which did not contain laudanum.) During the day, vomiting of bitter, greenish matter, around twenty stools, pain in the hepatic region, extreme weakness, changes in facial features. On the 9th and 10th, his state worsened, involuntary lowering of the lower eyelid during sleep, general prostration, stools dark and very fetid. (Thirty grams of quinquina in a light infusion, sweet gummed barley-water, several baths.) On the 11th, momentary delirium, extreme prostration, the pains which the patient had previously felt almost ceased. Death at one- thirty in the afternoon. The autopsy revealed inflammation of almost the entire colon and rectum; the inner membrane was black and appeared gangrenous. The inflammation had spread to the peritoneum, and produced a purulent deposit in the very substance of the liver, in the right lobe a little above the vesicle. The pus contained within the deposit was abundant and whitish in colour.

Crossing from Shark Bay to the Island of Timor; Sojourn in Kupang […] (26th September to 17th October 1818)38

39 At a quarter past eleven in the morning of the 26th of September, we got underway from Shark Bay. The commander had soundings taken continually. At four o’clock in the evening we caught a sea-bream and a bonito. Monsieur Taunay has drawn the latter fish. At five o’clock, the depth was only four fathoms; until then it had varied between five and fifteen. 40 At six o’clock the corvette struck bottom with quite a violent shudder, in two and a half fathoms, on sand. Immediately, all sails were struck, and the topgallants and royals were brought in. After a very brief period, the ship having made headway, the topsails were hoisted and the main tack was hauled aboard. We steered east to try and avoid the shoals, but in vain, for at six-twenty, after lightly scraping the bottom, our ship found itself completely aground, stern to the wind. All the sails were handed and the commander’s boat, the large boat and the whaleboat were launched.

37 [Marginal note] 1818. September. 38 [Translator’s note] The title and dates that appear in Gaimard’s journal have been modified here to correspond to the period of our extract. 39 [Marginal note] Departure from Endracht’s Land. 40 [Marginal note] The Uranie strikes a sand-bank.

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A kedge-anchor was stretched out to the south, and just as the sailors were getting ready to launch the longboat, the corvette abruptly found deeper water; the starboard anchor was dropped while we waited for high tide and for soundings to be taken. At ten o’clock in the morning of the 27th, we set sail, leaving Dorre and Bernier Islands on our left. During the day we caught several sea-bream, a triggerfish and a pufferfish. On the 28th, we saw whales, porpoises and boobies. On the 29th we caught physaliae with beautiful blue tentacles, diphyae, small janthinae and a . We saw bonito, porpoises and flying fish; we also glimpsed a whale. On the 30th, the large sea turtle caught by Monsieur Duperrey near Faure Island was slaughtered. It weighed 320 pounds when it was brought on board. Length of the turtle: [blank]. Length of its intestinal tract: 70 feet. I conserved its heart in spirits of wine. On that day and the following we saw black petrel, boobies, and several tropic birds, along with whales, porpoises and flying fish. On the 2nd of October, Monsieur de Freycinet addressed a letter to us which contained the following:

To the military officers, medical officers, midshipmen and others belonging to the staff of the corvette Uranie:

41 Messieurs, during our sojourn in New Holland, several of you had occasion to communicate with the natives of the country and consequently to examine their physical constitution, weapons, dwelling-places, several of their customs, and to appraise their moral disposition. Others had particular opportunities to explore parts of the islands and the mainland. In general terms, all of you have observed and been able to reflect upon the character of the places you have visited, on the resources and the dangers that may be encountered there, as well as on the productions of the soil, and the conditions which relate directly to navigation. Highly conscious of the obligations which you have taken upon yourselves in undertaking a voyage devoted to the advancement of human knowledge, you have undoubtedly been scrupulous in taking note of the different articles of our programme of work. As we are about to arrive in a new port of call in which we will be assailed by interesting sights at every moment, I urge you to make haste in transcribing the notes that you must submit to me concerning our most recent sojourn. I ask you, Messieurs, to apply yourselves to this task without delay. I am honoured to offer you my compliments. Signed, Louis de Freycinet. Uranie, at sea, 2nd October 1818. P.S. This letter will be copied in full into the officers’ log and the

41 [Marginal note] Letter from Monsieur de Freycinet.

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42 midshipmen’s log.

On the 3rd of October, we saw tropic birds, white gulls and flying fish. We caught aggregate salps which had an orangy-yellow colouring. On the 4th, we saw a huge mollusc which had long cylindroid arms with blue tips. Our net supplied us with a large number of medusae, salps, diphyae, protei, several firoles, small crustacea, parts of a tricuspid hyaloea and a small insect which bore a close resemblance to the hydrometra. On the 5th, we caught a shark which was six feet three inches long and two feet nine inches in circumference. Length of each lobe of its liver: two feet six inches; length of intestines: three feet two inches; length of stomach: one foot eight inches. This shark looked exactly like the sharks of Endracht’s Land. It was drawn by Monsieur Taunay. On that day and those following, we saw frigate birds, masked and other boobies, large and small gulls, albatross and flying fish. 43 At two twenty-seven in the afternoon of the 7th, we saw Roti Island; later on we saw Douro Island. At midday on the 8th we recognized the island of Semau, and at four o’clock in the evening, the mountains of Timor – on one of which a large fire was burning. We caught several hydrometrae and a firole. At eleven o’clock in the morning of the 9th a sailor fell into the sea. It was almost calm, and he was rescued without any difficulty. 44 At twenty-five minutes after midday we dropped anchor near Fort Concordia, in twenty-two fathoms, on a bottom of mud. There were two brigs and a sloop of the Dutch Company in the road. Scarcely had we anchored in Kupang Bay when an agent of the colony, Monsieur Noman, who was English by nationality, came aboard in a Malay canoe. Monsieur Labiche, lieutenant, was sent ashore to alert the secretary of the government to our arrival. At that time the governor of the Dutch settlement, Monsieur Hazaart, was busy waging war against a rebellious rajah in the interior of the island. On the 10th, the Uranie’s observatory was set up on shore in the house of the former governor, which Monsieur Freycinet chose as his residence. On the 12th, Monsieur Gaudichaud and I went for a walk along the Kupang river, and saw several pretty houses and the tomb of Van-Taybeno, which I will describe elsewhere. Whilst Monsieur Adam and I were out hunting on the 15th, we visited the country houses of Madame Van-Esten and Monsieur Thillmann. In exchange for the coconuts, grapefruit and other fruits offered to us by the Malays, we gave them knives, mirrors, needles, pins, thread, etc., which they accepted with pleasure, and very often demanded with great insistence. On the morning of the 16th, I took Messieurs Pellion

42 [Marginal note] 1818. October. 43 [Marginal note] Sighting of the islands of Roti, Douro, Semau and Timor. 44 [Marginal note] Anchorage in Kupang Bay.

291 and Arago to Van-Taybeno’s tomb. Monsieur Arago made a drawing of it. Later in the day we visited the rajahs of Roti and Dao. I will discuss the various notes I compiled about this meeting at a later stage. In the evening Messieurs Duperrey, Arago, Adam, Taunay and I walked to the residence of Emperor Pierre – this is the title used for the powerful rajah whom we found dressed in rags. On the 17th, Messieurs Fabré, Requin and I, accompanied by the captain of an English ship which was due to leave very shortly for Batavia, made an excursion into the surrounds of Kupang. In the course of hunting, we came across a number of houses, including those of the Dutch Resident and Madame Van-Esten, of whom Péron supplied a brilliant description.