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@_historycats_

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“If cats could write history, their history would be mostly about cats” ― Eugen Weber

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Matthew Flinders was an extraordinary man; explorer, navigator, naval captain, daring adventurer, cartographer and cat lover.

He was the first person to circumnavigate Australia in 1803 and chart it’s previously undiscovered coastline. He was also the first to consistently use the term “Australia”.

Flinders was accompanied on his sea voyages by a plucky and affable cat called Trim. Trim was a tuxedo cat — black fur with white paws, chin and chest, and Flinders’ most adored, affectionate and faithful friend.
 Whilst being held captive by the French on Mauritius from 1804 to 1810, Flinders wrote a book about Trim to honour his memory.

Trim had been taken to Mauritius with Flinders after being shipwrecked on the Indian Ocean, but sadly had disappeared, never to be seen again. Flinders believed he had been eaten by a hungry Mauritian slave.

The book is called “The story of a brave, seafaring cat who, in the company of Matthew Flinders, circumnavigated the globe in the years 1799-1804”.

Flinders writes:

“To the memory of Trim

The best and most illustrious of his race
The most affectionate of friends,
Faithful of servants, and best of creatures.

He made the tour of the globe, and a voyage to Australia, which he circumnavigated, and was ever the delight and pleasure of his fellow voyagers”.

The true love and affection Matthew Flinders had for his companion Trim is evident in his writing. In life, Flinders admired Trim’s bravery and affectionate nature, and valued his companionship, but it is Flinders’ belief in the unassailable dignity and integrity of Trim’s existence that distinguishes his great love. His grief on losing his friend was deep and long-lived, surviving until his own untimely death in 1814, aged 40 years.

That’s just how it is for cat people.

#catsofhistory
#catsofthesea
#matthewflinderscat by @_historycats_

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