After spending a long time in the exploration of its coasts and in collecting scientific information, they made for Sydney in order to repair their ships and gain relief for their many invalids.

Thence, after incidents which will be noticed presently, they set sail in November, 1802, for Bass Strait and the coast beyond.

They seem to have overlooked the entrance to Port Phillip--a discovery effected by Murray in 1801, but not made public till three years later--and failed to notice the outlet of the chief Australian river, which is obscured by a shallow lake.
There they were met by Captain Flinders, who, on H.M.S.
"Investigator," had been exploring the coast between Cape Leeuwin and the great gulfs which he named after Lords St.Vincent and Spencer.
Flinders was returning towards Sydney, when, in the long desolate curve of the bay which he named from the incident Encounter Bay, he saw the French ships.

After brief and guarded intercourse the explorers separated, the French proceeding to survey the gulfs whence the "Investigator" had just sailed; while Flinders, after a short stay at Sydney and the exploration of the northern coast and Torres Strait, set out for Europe.[215] Apart from the compilation of the most accurate map of Australia which had then appeared, and the naming of several features on its coasts--_e.g._, Capes Berrouilli and Gantheaume, the Bays of Rivoli and of Lacepede, and the Freycinet Peninsula, which are still retained--the French expedition achieved no geographical results of the first importance.
Its political aims now claim attention.

A glance at the accompanying map will show that, under the guise of being an emissary of civilization, Commodore Baudin was prepared to claim half the continent for France.