History of the Monuments

To conclude these articles on the early days of Eyre Peninsula, it was considered that some notice of the three monuments would be appropriate. The first and most important is that erected by Flinders, because it was the first monument in that part of the country, subsequently to be known as South Australia. The French inscription on the rock on Kangaroo Island was inscribed over a year later.

When dealing with Flinders' voyage, the cause for the necessity of such a commemorative tablet at Memory Cove was dealt with in full. A few details may not now be out of place, if repeated.

On Sunday, February 21, 1802, the Investigator was anchored near Thistle's Island. The old trouble —faulty compass bearings —had occurred again, so the departure of the ship was delayed overnight. During the enforced stay, Flinders sent his master (Thistle) with Midshipman Taylor and six seamen on to the mainland, to see if any water could be found, and at the same time to see if there were an anchorage. Toward sunset the boat was seen to leave the shore for the ship, but a short time afterwards it had disappeared from view. For three days an intense search was made; no bodies were recovered, but part of the boat and some fittings were found.

SEAMEN COMMEMORATED

Want of water prevented Flinders from staying longer and on February 24 he "caused an inscription to be engraven upon a sheet of copper and set up on a stout post at the head of the cove which I named Memory Cove, and further to commemorate our loss I gave to each of the six islands nearest Cape Catastrophe the name of one of the seamen."

Flinders did not record the inscription in his published journal; had he done so, this article scarcely would have been required. Before naming the islands he had named Thistle's Island and Taylor's Isles, leaving only the six seamen to be commemorated. Throughout the search for material for these articles, a careful watch was kept to ascertain the names of the seamen. Looking at Flinders's chart, it appeared certain that Williams, Little, Lewis, Grindal, Hopkins and Smith were the names, but until the middle of February, 1935 there was nothing definite gleaned, and then the Archivist (Mr. Pitt) produced a letter from the Admiralty Office, London, dated March 1, 1924, which accompanied a photostat of Flinders's log, containing the correct wording of the inscription on the tablet. The writer of that letter, almost as an afterthought, wrote, "I am to add that the names of the six seamen who were drowned on the occasion in question were :—William Smith (coxswain); John Little; George Lewis; John Hopkins; Thomas Grindall and Robert Williams."

It is satisfactory to get this information confirming previous conjectures, and at the same time for this paper to be the first to intimate to the public the names of the seamen. It will be noticed that Grindall is spelt with two l's.

In the charts only one is used, and as this was Flinders' method we cannot, or rather should not, depart from his nomenclature. We are apt to lose sight of the significance of the names applied to the islands nearest Cape Catastrophe. Thistle is, of course, well remembered, but what about the others ?

The following by the late Mr. Thomas Gill, referring to Flinders' last look at the scene of the calamity. is worth repeating, "As he gazed for the last time on the islands which he had named after his lamented ship-mates, he had, at least, the melancholy satisfaction of knowing that he had perpetuated the names of the men whose lives had been sacrificed in the interest of science, and whose monuments would endure until the end of the world."

When dealing with the Stamford Hill monument it is proposed to make some remarks about the life of Sir John Franklin, but at the present, one incident in his life must be referred to. Mr. H. D. Traill in 1896 published a book on the life of Sir John, collaborating with a niece of the knight, and utilising material collected throughout the years by Lady Franklin.

FRANKLIN'S PRANK

John Franklin, a middy, joined the Investigator when he was about 15 years of age, so at the time of the accident at Memory Cove he would be approaching 16 years, the enthusiastic, if still mischievous and irresponsible, age. Probably he was aware that one of the ideas of the voyage was to debar the French from annexing the southern coast of New Holland, through their attempting to be the first to survey it. Young John was placed on one of the headlands to watch for any passing object at Memory Cove. "He secured to himself the honor of annexing the Australian continent—symbolically at any rate—to the British Empire."

Each of the watchers on the various headlands was given a flag which was to he unfurled when a body of one of the shipwrecked crew was seen. To young John, this was a mere detail ; with a Union Jack in his hand, the really important thing was to unfurl the British flag on the strange shore. No sooner thought of, than the deed was done, and no sooner done than a boat was lowered from the Investigator. So a body had to be found or he had to admit to his commander his intention to "proclaim the annexation of Australia." Which was the lesser evil ? Which would warrant the least censure ? The former, so when the officer in command arrived on the scene, John was prepared to point some distance away, to a cleft in some rocks, with the suggestion whether "he did not think that white thing was a dead body."

The officer, evidently realising the position, made a careful examination before disabusing the youth's idea. But "he had realised the longing of his boyish ambition, no doubt," said Lady Franklin. "It was a very young trick." It is not recorded whether, the incident came to the ears of his commander.

Nearly 30 years rolled by before Col. Light made his investigation of Port Lincoln to see if suitable for the sight of the first town. On leaving the harbor he met with adverse weather, so he put into Memory Cove for shelter, on December 10, 1839, anchoring there about 3 p.m., in about seven fathoms, approximately two cable lengths from the shore. A party landed, some for fishing, others for exploring, but it was said, "the thickness of the scrub prevented our going far, and indeed nothing could be seen without ascending the hills, which time of the day would not permit." At 5 a.m. the following day (December 11), Light got his ship under weigh.

Many years afterwards, a "Register" correspondent (most possibly Mr.—now Sir William—Sowden) in writing on the Port Lincoln district stated that Light made a search for the monument or its remains, but failed to find it or any remnants. On what authority this was said, I cannot say.

TABLET FRAGMENTS FOUND

Another thirty years passed before the next episode. On August 22, 1866, Mr. William Murray (assistant resident engineer at Port Lincoln) wrote to the editor of the "Register":— "The accompanying piece of engraved copper I picked up on the beach at the end of my paddock. Port Lincoln Bay (Section No. 10) on Monday last, no doubt washed up by the late gale, it was very thickly oxidized, and crumpled up when found, I send it to you feeling sure that if any explanation or elucidation of the matter can be effected it would be through your office." He asked for the return of the plate. Fortunately wiser counsels prevailed and the piece found a resting place in the museum attached to the South Australian Institute, the forerunner of the present museum.

The piece of copper found was the bottom right-hand corner of the Memory Cove plate, containing the words, "Unfortunately; from being upset; the boat was found; not recovered;" as well as the letters "C A" then a gap and the letter "E." It will be noticed that an "R" was used instead of the letter "N." It did not take the "Register" long to decide that it was a portion of the Memory Cove tablet, for in the issue of the "Observer" of September 1, 1866, in reporting the find it was stated that "Captain McCoy, of the steamship Lubra, who brought over the article, said concerning it:— 'I have very little doubt that it is a part of a tablet erected by Flinders to commemorate the loss of one of his boat's crews in Thorny Passage.' "

SURMISE CORRECT

With this suggestion, the editor perused Flinders' journal, "Terra Australis," and the words seemed to indicate that Capt. McCoy was right in his surmise, but the editor was faced with the difficulty of making a definite pronouncement for "the inscription upon the tablet is not mentioned in this account, but the words visible upon the copper replica we have alluded to agree with what is likely would be engraved on such a memorial."

The Museum curator's report of donations to the Governors of the S.A. Institute for the period September 11 to November 12, 1866, has:— "Mr. Wm. Murray C.E. a copper plate found on the seashore near Port Lincoln with an inscription etc."

Very nearly 60 years after this entry Mr. Arthur Searcy (chairman of the Harbors Board and president of the Marine Board) stated (April 15, 1924) that "Some time in 1866, I was living with my father (Wm. Searcy S.M.) at Port Lincoln. I remember going over to Port Lincoln (Proper) to visit Mr. W. Murray, a civil engineer, who lived at a place, called, I think. Ravenswood. We went shooting water hens along the shallow shore near his house and whilst so doing we saw a piece of darkened wood drifting along and at Mr. M's suggestion I doffed my shoes etc. and went after it. On dragging it out onto the beach, Mr. M. exclaimed 'You have got a rare prize, this is the missing post and tablet of Flinders from Memory Cove.' " Quite how much of this is recent information woven into the original can not be said, but Murray apparently did not suggest to the "Register" that the plate was part of the Memory Cove tablet. Mr. Searcy would be a lad of about 14 years of age when the fragment was found. In a recent article "Ravenswood" was stated by me to have been the residence of Mr. A. J. Murray, resident magistrate in 1857. In the above, Mr. William Murray claims possession of Section No. 10. In view of this it would be interesting to know if there were any connection between these two, if Mr. A. J. Murray lived on Section 10, and if the existing house were his residence.