d
speaks for itself. Here they killed thirty-one dark-brown kangaroos.
"The whole ship's company was employed this afternoon skinning and
cleaning the kangaroos, and a delightful regale they afforded after
four months' privation from almost any fresh provisions. Half a
hundredweight of heads, forequarters, and tails were stewed down into
soup for dinner, and as much steaks given to both officers and men
as they could consume by day and night."

[Illustration: CAPE CATASTROPHE. From Flinders' _Voyages_.]

In April 1802 a strange encounter took place, when suddenly there
appeared a "heavy-looking ship without any top-gallant masts up,"
showing a French ensign. Flinders cleared his decks for action in case
of attack, but the strangers turned out to be the French ship _Le
Geographe_, which, in company with _Le Naturaliste_, had left France,
1800, for exploration of the Australian coasts.

Now it was well known that Napoleon had cast longing eyes upon the
Terra Australis--indeed, it is said that he took with him to Egypt
a copy of _Cook's Voyages_. Flinders, too, knew of this French
expedition, but he was not specially pleased to find French explorers
engaged on the same work as himself. The commanders met as friends,
and Baudin, the French explorer, told how he had landed also near Cape
Leuwin in May 1801, how he had given the names of his two ships to
Cape Naturaliste and Geographe Bay, and was now making his way round
the coast. Flinders little guessed at this time that the French were
going to claim the south of New South Wales as French territory under
the name of Terra Napoleon, though it was common knowledge that this
discovery was made by Englishmen.

"Ah, captain," said one of the French crew to Flinders, "if we had
not been kept so long picking up shells and catching butterflies at
Van Diemen's Land you would not have discovered this coast before us."

When Baudin put in at Port Jackson a couple of months later, he inquired
of the Governor the extent of British claims in the Pacific.

"The whole of Tasmania and Australia are British territory," was the
firm answer.

After this encounter Flinders discovered and named Port Phillip, at
the head of which stands the famous city of Melbourne to-day, and then
made his way on to Port Jackson. He had managed his crews so well that
the inhabitants of Port Jackson declared they were reminded of England
by the fresh colour of the men amongst the _Investigator_ ship's