WITH THE "CUMBERLAND" TO TORRES STRAIT, 1803 CAPTIVITY AT MAURITIUS, 1803-10 AND CLOSE OF HIS CAREER
Flinders on the "Porpoise" as a Passenger for England via Torres Strait. "Bridgewater" and "Cato" ACCOMPANY "Porpoise." "Porpoise" and "Cato" Stranded on Wreck Reef and deserted by the "Bridgewater." Three Lives lost. Ninety-four Men on a Sandbank. Flinders and the Captain of the "Cato" with Twelve Men reach Sydney in a Boat. Flinders given the Schooner "Cumberland." Sails for Sandbank in Company with the "Rolla" and "Francis." "Rolla" takes some of the Shipwrecked Men to Canton. "Francis" takes Others to Sydney. The "Cumberland" unseaworthy, but Flinders takes her through Torres Strait by the Cumberland Passage and Prince of Wales Channel, and towards Timor, via Booby Island and Arnheim Land. Calls at Koepang. No Facilities for Repairs. Leaves for Cape of Good Hope. Flinders, unaware that War between France and England hand broken out again, is compelled by Rough Weather to run into Port Louis, Mauritius. Frosty Reception by Governor De Caen. Suspected of Espionage. The Breach widens. Seven Years' Captivity. Flinders regains his Liberty on the Capture of Mauritius by the British. Return to England. Rejoins his lost Bride. Failing Health. Three Years writing his Great Work, "Terra Australis." His Death.
AFTER consultation with Governor King, Flinders determined to go to England as a passenger by the "Porpoise" under command of Lieutenant Fowler, to lay his charts and journals before the Admiralty and to solicit the grant of another vessel to continue his investigations. Fowler's instructions were to go by Torres Strait "by the route Captain Flinders may indicate." The "Porpoise" left Sydney on 10th August, 1803, accompanied by the "Bridgewater" of the East India Company, and the "Cato" of London, both bound for Batavia.[1]
On 17th August, the "Porpoise" which was in the lead, struck on Wreck Reef (22° 11′ S., 155° 13′ E.) and the "Cato" immediately did the same. The "Bridgewater" weathered the reef and shamefully deserted her consorts. (She reached Bombay and left for London; after which she was never heard of again.)
Three lives were lost in the wreck, but the remainder (ninety-
