Flinders by Grantlee Kieza

Author:Grantlee Kieza
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ABC Books
Published: 2023-09-28T00:00:00+00:00

Three days later, on 12 December, Matthew moved the Investigator into the more sheltered waters of Princess Royal Harbour, underneath what is now Mount Clarence. The scientists fanned out into the surrounding country, examining rocks and soil and collecting new varieties of plants and seeds to take home. Snapper and mullet were hauled up, and birds shot for the table. Oyster Harbour lived up to its name, with the men eating their fill of oysters and mussels.

Matthew had tents set up on shore. One was an observatory, in which his stargazing equipment was kept under the guard of marines under Samuel’s supervision. The positions of various stars were noted, and a record kept of temperature and barometric readings and tidal variations. A gale blew away the covering over the observatory; the instruments were drenched but not damaged.

EVIDENCE OF THE COUNTRY being inhabited was everywhere, but it wasn’t until 14 December that Robert Brown and other scientists at last met with some Menang warriors – of the Indigenous Noongar people – who seemed ‘shy but not afraid’. One of the warriors they met ‘was admired for his manly behaviour’ and the men from the Investigator gave him a bird which had been shot, and a pocket-handkerchief, but ‘these men did not seem to be desirous of communication with strangers and they very early made signs to our gentlemen to return from whence they came’.27 The next morning, however, the crew were agreeably surprised by the appearance of two more warriors, and afterwards by others, on the side of the hill behind the tents.

They approached with much caution, one coming first with poised spear, and making many gestures, accompanied with much vociferous parleying, in which he sometimes seemed to threaten us if we did not be gone, and at others to admit of our stay . . . On the 17th, one of our former visitors brought two strangers with him and after this time, they and others came almost every day, and frequently stopped a whole morning at the tents. We always made them presents of such things as seemed to be most agreeable, but they very rarely brought us anything in return; nor was it uncommon to find small mirrors, and other things left about the shore; so that at length our presents were discontinued.28

Matthew and his men spent Christmas in their new surrounds, sweltering in the summer heat. The officers and scientific staff ate Christmas dinner with Matthew, while the crew had a day off work. Peter Good said ‘some got completely drunk’.29

By 30 December, the crew had taken on all the firewood and fresh water they could fit, and Matthew was satisfied with the repairs to the rigging and sails. Young William Westall had written home to his family from the Cape, telling them of the kindness Matthew had shown to him. Richard Westall later wrote a letter of thanks to Matthew, hoping it would find him sometime in Sydney. He said he hoped Matthew would ‘acquire honour

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