How did matthew flinders die

He was a leading maritime explorer of Australia. He named the continent and produced the most accurate early atlas of the geography. Introduction Matthew Flinders, the first person to circumnavigate sail around Australia, also gave the country its name. There are monuments to him throughout several Australian cities, as well as to his cat, Trim — the first feline to circumnavigate the continent.

He received a good education because it was thought he would become a surgeon like his father and grandfather. However, after reading the book Robinson Crusoe , Flinders developed a passion for seafaring.

What did matthew flinders discover

While aboard the ship, he gained knowledge of navigation, tracking star patterns, using tools like the compass, and he took lessons from Bligh on chart construction. It was his journey on the Reliance , however, that would give Flinders a chance to make history. After arriving on the continent, expeditions were taken to survey coastal areas in search of harbors, rivers, and safe anchorages for ships.

They also went into inland regions along rivers and across the mountains.

When was matthew flinders born and died

Voyages Principal Voyage Flinders mapped much of the geography during these trips between October and January In March , Flinders and the Reliance set sail to return to England. They arrived back in Plymouth on August 27, Flinders had been away from home for five and a half years, but his journey to Terra Australis Incognita was just beginning.

After only being home eleven days, Flinders gained information on a plan to further explore Terra Australis. He wrote a letter requesting support for a voyage to perform a circumnavigation of Australia. He reached Terra Australis in December and started surveying and charting the continent.