Deciphering of Inscription on Memory Cove Plate

On October 3, 1866, the editor of the "Register'"(Mr. John Howard Clark) again wrote to the South Australian Institute Museum authorities as follows : — "Mr. John Cummings left the accompanying specimen at my office, saying he found it in a cupboard in a house he had just taken at the Bay. If it is of any value he places it at your disposal." This transaction does not appear to be recorded in the Museum's record of donations, and I think this find is remembered locally more than the other two. It was not recorded what lettering was on this fragment.

On December 28, 1866, Mr. William Murray wrote again to the editor of the Register : — "I beg to forward an other portion of the engraved copper plate I found on the beach near my house some time since, and mentioned in your paper. This seems to be in much better preservation. Strangely this piece was found very much crumpled, about three hundred yards from the sea inside the sandhills. It evidently has not been exposed so long to salt water. If you forwarded the other portion to the Museum of the S.A. Institute, be kind enough to forward this also when you have done with it. Mr. Waterhouse has not in any way acknowledged its receipt." In the curator's record of donations to the Museum for the period of November 12 to January 15, 1867, the following entry occurs: — " Mr. Wm. Murray, Port Lincoln, a fragment of a copper plate with an inscription, etc."

RARE INVESTIGATOR RELICS

Mr. Morris Gill considered that these fragments were probably the only relics in Australia of the Investigator. Regarding the connection between the South Australian Institute and the existing Public Library, it might be mentioned that the institute was formed about 1856, and consisted of a circulating library. Attached thereto was a museum and art gallery. In 1884, the present Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery board was constituted, the new home being the building now used as the Public Library. The new board took over from the old institute nearly all reference and scientific books, as well as the Museum and Art Gallery, leaving the circulating library of the old institute to a new board known as the "Adelaide Circulating Library."

With regard to the complaint by Mr. Murray of the non-acknowledgement of the specimen, it can be vouched for that such a complaint could not be made nowadays. Any information or specimen presented brings forth a prompt and appreciative acknowledgement. To quote an instance, when I was at Moonabie Range with the ornithological party last November, some roots of the water bearing mallee were brought back. Thinking Mr. Hale, the director of the Museum would like to see, if not exhibit them, they were placed at his disposal. The reply came within a few days to the effect: "Just what was wanted; we are making a collection from all over the State."

About I881 the late Mr. T. R. Tapley took up portion of Thistle's Island, and I think he took his family there. Being isolated from the mainland, a boat was an indispensable adjunct of the plant, and a trip to Memory Cove could easily be made. In a letter from Mrs. Florence Leitchfield, a daughter of Mr. Tapley, to Mr. Arthur Day, then chief draughtsman in the Surveyor-General's office under date July 28, 1930, it is stated : "I cannot remember just when my father found the part of the plate at Memory Cove, but I should think it might have been about 1885 or 1887. We children, then, were young, and did not realise what it all meant. My father, the late T. R. Tapley, gave the remains of the plate to the harbormaster (Port Lincoln ?), then the late Mr. W. O. Bennett. I suppose Mr. Bennett put it away and forgot it was given him in trust. Father wished him to send it to the Museum."

Mrs. Leitchfield had seen Mr. Day, some time previous to this letter and talking over the old days at Port Lincoln revealed to him the forgotten incident and the details were afterwards incorporated in the letter quoted above. Mr. Day thoughtfully sent a copy of the letter to the Archives. What a great opportunity was lost by the non-receipt of that fragment. Possibly had it been in existence the solution of the puzzle of the inscription may have been solved much earlier.

TRACING IN ARCHIVES

In the Archives there is a small tracing. What is its significance I know not, or whether any reliance can be placed upon it, but it appears to show where at least two of the pieces of the copper tablet were picked up. Number one is shown on the low flat opposite Mr. Hayward's house ; No. 2 on block 10 and away from the seaside. Figure No. 3 is on the north side of Salt Creek, being the prolongation of Porter's Bay, probably on a flat uncovered at low water. It is just possible that it was ascertained that the piece discovered by Cummings in the cupboard was originally found at Salt Creek. I give this for what it is worth — possibly correct, possibly wrong.

Two years or so after Tapley's find, or to be precise, 1888, was the pivotal point in the eventful history of this remarkable tablet. In that year Dr. E. C. Stirling began investigations. He has left a manuscript article, which is now in the Archives, which gives the genesis of the long search for the solution as to what was on the tablet. With the permission of the Archives I am privileged to give some extracts from the manuscript. After reviewing the details of the boating catastrophe, the doctor went on to say : "This story was well known to me and I had often wondered what had become of the copper plate set up by Flinders. Rumour had it variously, that it still stood on the shore of Memory Cove, that it had been washed away, that it had been found."

MEMORY COVE VISITED

Through the kindness of Commander Walcot, of the Protector, the doctor and his assistant (Mr. Zietz) were able to visit Memory Cove during the summer cruise of the boat in January, 1888. On arrival at Memory Cove " the most careful search all round the shore of the little bay revealed no trace of the lost plate, or even of the stout post to which it was affixed." Afterwards Mr. Zietz recollected that in a drawer in the Museum, devoted to various odds and ends that came into the possession of a museum, were some fragmeen's of copper, the history of which he was ignorant; and he suggested the pieces were part of the plate of which they were in search. On return to town they found the suggestion was correct. Not only were the three scraps found, but also the letters containing the history of them. When the three pieces were placed in position they clearly showed they formed part of the tablet. Efforts were made to fill in the missing words, fairly successfully, with the exception of the last line, of which only three letters were extant. Many years afterwards the final line was found to have read: "Nautici Cavete" (sailors beware).

The article by Dr. Stirling probably was written about 1892, and was offered to the "Register" for publication, but through being unable to get a block for printing the suggested reconstructed tablet, the idea was not carried out.

WORK OF MANY HANDS

There were many, no doubt, who took a hand in solving the riddle. The officers of the Public Library, and members of the board were not inactive. In addition to their own attempt they enlisted the aid of the South Australian branch of the then recently formed Royal Geographical Society. The secretary of that society (Mr. A. T. Magarey) got Mr. William Milne, Jnr., who was in London to approach Mr. J. S. O'Halloran, the secretary of the Royal Colonial Institute, London, to see if he could trace the words inscribed by Flinders. Mr. O'Halloran wrote (June 15, 1891) : "My efforts, however, I regret to say have been quite unavailing." He found plenty of references to the tablet, but none as to the wording. He further wrote : "As a last resource a search has been made by the secretary of the Admiralty, in the record office, I am sorry to say without result ; the hydrographer also searched his records and sent to other places where he thought it possible the desired information might be found, but was unable to obtain any clue to the inscription on the tablet. These investigations were instituted through Rear-Admiral Henry Fairfax, C.B., who was kind enough to take an interest in the matter. He also said that Mr. James Bonwick, who had just done a lot of research work with Flinders' papers, informed him (Mr. O'Halloran) that he had not met with any notice of the inscription.

In 1896, the museum director reported that he had mounted and framed the fragments of the copper tablet, and that he had nearly deciphered the inscription. The committee recommended the board of governors of the Public Library that the "restored plate be hung In the vestibule of the library." This was agreed to, "and further it was decided that the Government should be requested to erect at Memory Cove a new tablet." This request was acted upon by the Government in 1897. The inscription on the restored plate could only be conjectural or as happily termed afterwards, reconstructed from a "hypothetical reading."

[Now displayed in the South Australian Maritime Museum. D.W.]