As published in Ancestors issue 3, August 2001 and recorded here by permission of the publishers.
How extraordinary it was for me to be able to see and read the Third Log Book, when I visited the Public Record Office at Kew, for which I am greatly indebted to Stella Colwell, a member of the Office's administration.
This might not seem to be unusual to anyone unaware of the Log Book's history. On the completion of his, the first, circum-navigation of Australia, while in port at Port Jackson, now part of Sydney, Flinders had cause to commence a new Log Book following the first two. This book covered his time on the Investigator from June 11th. 1803 and subsequently on the Porpoise and the Cumberland. It was on the latter vessel, returning to England, that he drew near to the island of Mauritius on December 15th. 1803, unaware that the war between France and England had recommenced in May 1803. As a result, the Cumberland was impounded at Port Louis and Flinders with his first mate taken prisoner. All his documents, log books, charts and letters were seized under the orders of the French Governor, captain general DeCaen. Over the years, and right up till the time of his release in June 1810, all these were handed back with the notable exception of the third Log Book. Time and time again, and finally at the time of embarkation, Flinders requested its return. For several reasons maintained by the Governor, he clung to this Log Book.
Back in England in October 1810, Flinders prompted the Royal Navy on several occasions to write to Paris, asking for the Log Book's return, all without avail during his lifetime. It was not until June 15th. 1813 that the Minister of Marine and Colonies, Decres, wrote to DeCaen, by then commander in chief of the Imperial Army in Catalonia, demanding its return to the Ministry. It duly arrived and was placed in the Depot de la Marine, where it remained in the Depot Des Cartes et Plans, Paris, for eleven years. It had been returned to the Ministry of Marine and Colonies, after a delay of seven months spent in searching for it, on March 5th. 1825, when exerps were transcribed by a clerk. Finally, it was received by Lord Granville, British Ambassador in Paris, from Baron de Damas, the French Foreign secretary, and forwarded to the Right Honourable George Canning, the British Foreign Secretary on June 23rd. 1825.
The Admiralty took charge of the Log Book just a month before Flinders' successor, Philip Parker King, arrived back in London with his completed charts of the Australian coasts. He made good use of the Log Book, when working in the Hydrographical Office, London, on his surveys of Northern Australia. The Log Book remained in the Admiralty Library until 1911, when it was deposited with other Admiralty historical documents at the Public Record Office. When these were classified, some including the third Log Book were placed in a bag of uncatalogued seamen's' relics. It was discovered in 1927 by Miss Ida Leeson, later Mitchell Librarian in Sydney. She arranged for a photocopy to be made for the Mitchell Library in 1929 and the volume became classified as ADM/55/78.
Today, the Log Book can be seen on microfilm, but Flinders' script is not easily read on the screen. So, it was very fortunate that the regulations were broken for me and I was able to hold this document with its most remarkable history in my own hands. The Book is leather bound and runs to 105 numbered double pages with six un-numbered double pages following at the end. On the end binding, the Admiralty have used gold lettering to note the title: Log of HMS Investigator 1803. Towards the bottom, similarly printed are the words: Record Office Admiralty. The Public Record Office stamp has been placed on the first fly leaf and on the last page of Flinders' writing.
The paper is of a very pale light brown colour and comparable to thin document paper of the era. Flinders script is beautifully inscribed copper plate and perfectly readable. What is even more remarkable, is that the volume bears no marks of having been translated in part by DeCaen's staff or having been read by Phillip Parker King and transcribed in part by the clerk in the Ministry of Marine and Colonies. In addition the Log Book survived the wreck of the Porpoise on Wreck Reef in August 1803. The pages are in part lined up to provide a framework for the entry of nautical data, leaving plenty of space for the narrative. Apart from the narrative, Flinders also copied into the Log Book the letter written by Robert Brown giving reasons why he and Ferdinand Bauer should not depart with Flinders on the Porpoise, but rather stay on and make further studies of the Australian flora for up to 18 months. This they did, to the great advantage of the Botanical world.
It was the nautical data of the passage through the Torres Strait, that Flinders had discovered in 1802, and missed so badly when writing up the Voyage. It was this data, together with the reasons he gave for calling at Mauritius, which were the cause of DeCaen holding on to the Log Book for ten years. What was denied to Flinders is now available for all to see, at least on microfilm. How specially satisfying it was for a collateral descendant to hold and read the historic Log Book 190 years on, but only with profound regret that Flinders himself never again had that pleasure.
With acknowledgement to Frank Horner, 'The Missing Third Journal of Flinders', The Great Circle, Vol.20, No.2. Two excerpts from the Log Book follow as appendices: 1. General observations on Timor; 2. Approach to Mauritius and entry to Port Louis harbour under arrest. 29/10/00. 985 words.
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