The Book, Cat, & Cat Book Lovers Almanac

of historical trivia regarding books, cats, and other animals. Actually this blog has evolved so that it is described better as a blog about cats in history and culture. And we take as a theme the advice of Aldous Huxley: If you want to be a writer, get some cats. Don't forget to see the archived articles linked at the bottom of the page.

March 16, 2019

March 16, 1774

Sir Flinders Petrie, is a famous name in Egyptian archeology, but his full name Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, recalls another discoverer, Matthew Flinders, (March 16, 1774 to July 19, 1814), his grandfather, who was the first European to map the Australian coastline.

According to one account, Matthew Flinders:

'literally put Australia on the map, but he didn't do it alone — he was helped by a cat called Trim. Trim was born in 1799 on board...[the ship named] Reliance on Flinders' voyage from the Cape of Good Hope to Botany Bay. He [the cat] was an adventurous spirit from the beginning; early on Trim fell overboard and had to swim to the boat and climb up a rope to safety.

'Rachel Franks from the State Library of NSW said it was this act of bravery that caught Flinders' attention..."I think Matthew quite liked his spirit and I think Trim quite liked [Flinders] as well." Flinders gave the small black and white cat the name Trim after the butler in Laurence Sterne's book Tristram Shandy...'
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