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Matthew Flinders - Journal on HMS 'Investigator', vol. 1, 1801-18021801-1802

by King, Philip Gidley, 1758-1808
Transcript: 

On the 19th. day of January 1801, a commission was signed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for Lieut. Mattw. Flinders to be lieutenant of His Majestys ship the Investigator, (late Xenophon) ['then lying in the harbour of Sheerness' has been inserted in pencil] and being the senior officer, I took the command, and J. H. Martin Esq. her former commander, considered himself superseded.
        On the 25th. my commission was read on board the ship, then lying in the harbour of Sheerness.
        She was lately out of dock, having been coppered, and was now new rigged, but had nothing on board but some iron and shingle ballast, and a little present use provisions.
        I immediately made application to the Navy Board to order the proper officers of the yard to furnish us with such proportions of stores, without reference to the usual mode of fitting ships of war, as I should judge expedient for the service upon which we expected to go; This order was immediately complied with, as was