In 1779 the French Government, unsolicited, had ordered
that the ships under Cook should not be molested though
there was war with England. It was King's duty to request
Flinders' release with "every document connected with his
voyage of discovery, noways doubting that your own
humanity will dictate what remains necessary to be done."
King did not live to see his friend released. De Caen did the
gaoler's work demanded by the vanity of Napoleon. The
first volume of Peron's work was published in 1807 in Paris.
Fretting against his prison bars, Flinders learned from a
Moniteur" in 1808 that all his discoveries on the south
coast were being purloined by others. The land was called
by a French name. Flinders must sorely have regretted
that he had not complied with King's earnest entreaty that he should avoid the Mauritius.[1]
There were Frenchmen who did what they could to redeem the good name of their country, and Flinders gratefully bore witness to their kindness. One Thomas Pitot, a young merchant, was specially distinguished. A literary Society of Emulation" petitioned the French National Institute in favour of Flinders. Sir J. Banks, a member of that institute, was unremitting in his efforts. Captain Milius, who succeeded Baudin in command of the Geographe, was made a prisoner of war, and at Sir J. Banks' intercession was released because he "always expressed the highest gratitude for (King's) excellent usage of the French discoverers."[2]
The Marquis of Wellesley in 1805 sent a vessel specially to ask for Flinders' release. In 1806 Sir J. Banks wrote to King: "At last I have succeeded in soliciting an order of liberation for our Flinders. M. de Bougainville the circumnavigator, got an order for his release. Even that order was declared to be dictated "par un sentiment de générosité," and its execution was long delayed.
It was not until March 1810 that Flinders received permission to leave, and not until 7th June 1810 (a few months before the capitulation of the island), that, on his "word of
- ↑ His reasons for non-compliance were-the necessity to touch some where; that he did not know that war between England and France had again broken out; that he had a French passport (but not a Dutch one which might ensure kind treatment at the Cape); and that Baudin's reception in Sydney entitled him to expect equal kindness at the Mauritius.
- ↑ Letter, 20th Sept. 1806. Sir J. Banks to Governor King.
