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Updated: June 13, 2025
The course we held led us within five miles of the north side of Naturaliste Reef,* in 29 fathoms; the depth we found sixteen miles west of it was 60 fathoms, and half a mile south of it 26 fathoms.
So Peron testified; but one cannot transcribe his words without a reflection on the sort of "European hospitality" that Matthew Flinders received by way of contrast when he was compelled to seek, shelter in Mauritius. Le Naturaliste was lying at anchor when Flinders' arrived with the Investigator in May.
At first it was considered that the ship was Le Naturaliste, the consort of Le Geographe, the two vessels having become separated in a storm off the Tasmanian coast. But as the Investigator steered towards the French and hoisted her flag, the mistake was corrected.
Having done much to determine the size and formation of the great bight called Shark's Bay, the NATURALISTE resumed her voyage, and joined her consort at Coepang, finding the GEOGRAPHE had arrived there more than a month before. The NATURALISTE, more fortunate than her companion, had few cases of scurvy on board, owing principally to their many and long stoppages on shore.
The stay at Coepang was a long one, for scurvy and sickness was rife amongst the crews and many died. During the time Captain Hamelin of the NATURALISTE was absent from his consort, he had been busy along the coast. The Swan River was explored by Bailly the naturalist, and the island of Rottnest examined.
The frigate Minerva, Captain Charles Buller, sighted Le Naturaliste in the Channel, stopped her, and insisted, despite her passport, on taking her into Portsmouth. She was detained there from May 27 till June 6, when the Admiralty, being informed of what had occurred, ordered her immediate release. She left Portsmouth and arrived at Havre on the same day, June 6, 1803.
I knew our latitude and position this night exactly, as I had seen Mount Naturaliste of the French in the course of the day.
He gave an account of the storm in Bass Strait which had separated him from Le Naturaliste on March 21, and went on to say that "having since had fair winds and fine weather, he had explored the south coast from Westernport to our place of meeting without finding any river, inlet, or other shelter which afforded anchorage."
It seems reasonable to assume that when Le Naturaliste sailed for France on December 16, and the two other ships for Kangaroo Island later in the same month, Baudin was quite satisfied that he had in his possession as complete a representation of the whole of the Terre Napoleon coasts westward to the gulfs, as would justify him in resuming the work from that situation.
Water, too, was becoming scarce, and there seemed to be little opportunity of replenishing the supply on these barren shores. The ship had likewise become separated from her consort, Le Naturaliste, "owing to the false calculations of the chief charged with directing their common movements," as averred by Freycinet.
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