Trim, the Cartographer's Cat

by Matthew Flinders

  Trim was admitted upon the table of almost every officer and man in the ship; in the gunroom* he was always the first ready for dinner; but though he was commonly seated a quarter of an hour before any other person, his modest reserve was such that his voice was not heard until everybody else was served. He then put in his request, not for a full allowance, he was too modest – nor did he desire there should be laid for him a plate, knife, fork, or spoon, with all which he could very well dispense; – but by a gentle caressing mew, he petitioned for a little, little bit, a kind of tythe from the plate of each; and it was to no purpose to refuse it, for Trim was enterprising in time of need, as he was gentle and well bred in ordinary times. Without the greatest attention to each morsel, in the person whom he had petitioned in vain; he would whip it off the fork with his paw, on its passage to the mouth, with such dexterity and an air so graceful, that it rather excited admiration than anger. He did not, however, leap off the table with his prize, as if he had done wrong; but putting the morsel into his mouth and eating it quietly, would go to the next person and repeat his little mew: if refused his wonted tythe, he stood ready to take all advantages. There are some men so inconsiderate as to be talking when they should be eating, – who keep their meat suspended in mid-air till a semi-colon in the discourse gives an opportunity of taking their mouthful without interrupting their story. Guests of this description were a dead mark for Trim: when a short pause left them time to take the prepared mouthful, they were often surprised to find their meat gone, they could not tell how.

  Trim had one day missed a fine morsel from the hungry activity of one of the young gentlemen (the present captain D.) who dined in the gunroom; seeing him, however, talking and eating at the same time, my persevering gentleman did not give it up, though the piece was half masticated and only waited for a period to disappear; but running up the waistcoat of our unsuspecting guest, for Trim was then but a kitten, and placing one paw at each corner of his mouth, he laid vigourous siege to his morsel; and whilst the astonished midshipman inarticulately exclaimed, G..d d…n the cat! Trim fairly took the piece out of his mouth and carried it off. This was pushing his enterprises too far, and he therefore received a reprimand which prevented them in future.

  The gunroom steward was, however, more particularly Trim’s confidant; and though he had dined with the masters, he was not too proud to sit down a second time with the servant. William had such an opinion of Trim’s intelligence, that he talked to him as to his child, whilst my four-footed master looking up in his face, seemed to understand him and to give rational answers. They had the following conversation after dinner on the day of Trim’s audacious enterprise just related.

  Do you know, master Trim, that you have behaved very ill? – Me-ew?

  It is very well to play your tricks with those that know you, but you should be more modest with strangers. – Mew!

  How dare you say that I gave you no breakfast? Did I not give you all the milk that was left, and some bread soaked in it? – Mou –wow! *

  No meat! What! you grow insolent? I’ll chain you up; do you hear Sir? – Me-ew.

  Well, if you’ll promise to behave better, you shall have a nice piece off the cold shank of mutton for your supper, you shall. – Mew – wew!!

  Gently master Trim. I’ll give it you now, but first promise me upon your honour. – Me-wee.

  Come then my good boy, come up and kiss me.

  Trim leaped up on his shoulder, and rubbing his face up against William’s cheek, received the mutton, piece by piece out of his mouth.

  In an expedition made to examine the northern parts of the coast of New South Wales, Trim presented a request to be of the party, promising to take upon himself the defence of our bread bags, and his services were accepted. Bongaree,* an intelligent native of Port Jackson, was also on board our little sloop; and with Trim formed an intimate acquaintance. If he had occasion to drink, he mewed to Bongaree and leaped up to the water cask; if to eat, he called him down below and went strait to his kid,† where there was generally a remnant of black swan. In short, Bongaree was his great resource, and his kindness was repaid with caresses. In times of danger, Trim never shewed any signs of fear; and it may truly be said, that he never distrusted or was afraid of any man.

  Portrait of Bungaree, a native of New South Wales, with Fort Macquarie, Sydney Harbour, in background, Augustus Earle. Oil on canvas c.1826. National Library of Australia.

  In 1800, the Roundabout returned to England by the way of Cape Horn and St. Helena, and thus Trim, besides his other voyages, completed the tour of the globe. Many and curious are the observations which he made in various branches of science, particularly in the natural history of small quadrupeds, birds, and flying fish, for which he had much taste. These, with his remarks upon men and manners, if future leisure should enable me to put them into order, I may perhaps give to the world; and from the various seas and countries he has visited, joined to his superior powers for distinguishing obscure subjects, and talents for seizing them, these observations may be expected to be more interesting than the imaginary adventures of your guineas, shillings, or halfpence, and to possess more originality than the Turkish spy.*

  Trim was not alone in developing a taste for flying fish. Seafarers have long welcomed their Uber Eats plopping-down-on-deck habit. However, flying is a bit of a misnomer says fish expert Frank Fish. They are actually gliding using their pectoral and pelvic fins as wings. ‘To take off a fish leaps from the water or rises to the surface continually beating its tail to generate propulsion as it starts to taxi. The taxiing run lets the fish accelerate at water surface and build momentum for take-off. Once the fish reaches its top speed of 20 to 40 miles an hour (32 to 64 kilometres per hour) it spreads its elongate fins and becomes airborne, gliding for 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 metres).’

  Flying Fish. Exocoetus sp. Ferdinand Bauer. Natural History Museum.

  Trim was not only a stranger to England, but also to a house and to the manner of living in it. The king of Bantam’s ambassador* was not more inexperienced in these matters than he. I took a lodging for him at Deptford, placing him under the guardianship of the good woman of the house, who promised to instruct him in the usages of Terra firma; but she knew not what she had undertaken. He would go out at the sash window to the top of the house, for the convenience of making his observations on the surrounding country more at ease; – it came on to rain, – the sash was put down. This would have been an invincible obstacle to other cats, but not so to Trim: he bolted through the glass like a clap of thunder, to the great alarm of the good hostess below. “Good God, Trim,” exclaimed she on entering the chamber, “is it thee? They said thou wast a strange outlandish cat, and verily I think thou art the divil: I must shut thee up, for if thou go’st to treat neighbours thus, I shall have thee taken up for a burglary. But come, I know thy master will pay the damage: hast thou cut thyself?”

  Trim’s short cut, glass all smashed to ‘Flinders’, George Gordon McCrae. National Library of Australia. George Gordon McCrae probably dashed off this sketch while researching and writing about Flinders. He had access to Flinders’ papers in Australia, including those William Matthew Flinders Petrie copied and presented to McCrae’s friend, John Joseph Shillinglaw, who was collecting material for a book on Flinders. McCrae may well have been the first person in Australia to read Flinders’ Tribute to Trim; he was certainly the first to illustrate it. Shillinglaw gave many of the papers he acquired to the State Library of Victoria, but the Tribute does not seem to be among them – tracking down its movements would be a nice little research project for a keen archivist.

  Woe to the good woman’s china, if Trim got into her closet. Your delicat town-bred cats go mincing in amongst cup and saucers without touching them; but Trim! If he spied a mouse there he dashed at it like a man of war, through thick and thin: the splinters flew in all directions. The poor woman at first thought an evil spirit was playing his pranks in her cupboard; – she opens the door with fea
r and trembling; when, to her infinite dismay, out jumps my black gentleman upon her shoulder: she was well nigh dead with fear. Seeing how much mischief was done to her dear china, the pride of her heart, she seized Trim to beat him soundly; but instead of trying to escape, the droll animal rubs his wiskers up against her chin and falls to purring. She had no longer the heart to strike him; but after a moment’s hesitation, she heaved a sigh and picked up the pieces.

  I took him up to London in the stage coach, and as there were no fine ladies to be frightened at the presence of a strange cat, he was left at full liberty. He was not in the least disconcerted by the novelty of his situation; but placing himself upon the seat, and stretching out his white paws, conducted himself reasonably like any other passenger, to the admiration of two gentlemen who did not cease to make inquiries concerning his education, manners, and adventures, during the whole way to town.

  A worthy acquaintance in London took Trim into his family; but he soon requested me to take him back, for “such a strange animal,” said he, “I never saw. I am afraid of losing him. He goes out into the streets in the middle of the day, and rubs himself against the legs of people passing by. Several have taken him up to caress him, but I fear some one will be carrying him off.” I took him on board the Spyall to make a second voyage to the South Seas.* Trim now found himself at home; and his gentleness and extraordinary confidence, joined to the amusement his droll antics furnished them, soon made him as great a favourite with his new shipmates, as he had been on board the Roundabout. We had several dogs on board the Spyall, but Trim was undisputed master of them all. When they were at play upon the deck, he would go in amongst them with his stately air; and giving a blow at the eyes of one, and a scratch on the nose to another, oblige them to stand out of his way. He was capable of being animated against a dog, as dogs usually may be against a cat; and I have more than once sent him from the quarter deck to drive a dog off the forecastle. He would run half the way briskly, crouching like a lion which has prey in view; but then assuming a majestic deportment, and without being deterred by the menacing attitude of his opponent, he would march straight up to him, and give him a blow on the nose, accompanied with a threatening mew! If the dog did not immediately retreat, he flew at him with his war cry of Yow! If resistance was still made, he leaped up on the rail over his head and so bespattered him about the eyes that he was glad to run off howling. Trim pursued him till he took refuge below; and then returned smiling to his master to receive his caresses.

  View in Sir Edward Pellew’s group, Gulph [sic] of Carpentaria, William Westall; engraved by John Pye. National Library of Australia.

  During our circumnavigation of Australia in the years 1801, 2, and 3, Trim had frequent opportunities of repeating his observations and experiments in his favourite science, natural history, and of exerting his undiminished activity and zeal for the public good. In the Gulph of Carpentaria, from the unhealthiness of the climate, the want of his usual fresh food, and perhaps from too much application to study, this worthy creature became almost grey, lost much of weight, and seemed to be threatened with a premature old age; but to the great joy of his friends, he re-assumed his fine black robe and his accustomed portliness, a short time after returning to harbour.

  Only once was Trim known to be guilty of theft: he had a soul above it; but one unlucky afternoon, a cold leg of mutton in the pantry tempted him. Being unable to carry it off himself, he got the assistance of Van, a Dutch cat on board; and they had so far succeeded as to get it down off the shelf, and were dragging it together into the hold; when lo! the steward came and surprised them in the fact. Van made his escape, but Trim, ever confident, made no efforts, and was seized and beaten soundly. He took the blows with philosophical patience; but no sooner was he set at liberty, than he ran after his false Dutch friend, and repaid him with interest the beating he had received. The recital of this unfortunate anecdote of my friend Trim, will I hope be received as a proof of the impartiality of this history; and I advertize the reader not to seek in it for any political allegory; but to be assured, that the facts were really such as they are here related.

  The Spyall being found to be rotten,* Trim embarked on board His Majesty’s ship the Janty to return to England, and was shipwrecked with us upon a coral bank in the Great Equinoxial Ocean† on the night of Aug. 17. 1803. The imagination can scarcely attain to what Trim had to suffer during this dreadful night, but his courage was not beat down. He got to Wreck-Reef Bank with the crew, and passed there two long and dreary months; during which his zeal in the provision tent was not less than it had been in the bread room, and his manners preserved all their amiability.

  Wreck of the Porpoise, William Westall. National Library of Australia.

  When vessels arrived to our assistance, Trim preferred following his master on board the Minikin schooner, to going with the rest of the ship’s company to China in a large vessel, giving thereby a memorable example of faithful attachment. The Minikin being very leaky, was obliged to stop at the Isle of France;* and there poor Trim, his master and few followers were all made prisoners; under the pretext that they had come to spy out the nakedness of the land; though it was clear as day, that they knew nothing of the war that had taken place a few months before. Trim was confined in a room with his master and another officer, and as he possessed more philosophy than we did, he contributed by his gay humour to soften our strait captivity; but sometimes also he contrived to elude the vigilance of the sentinel at the door, and left us to make little temporary excursions in the neighbourhood. It is probable that he made some new secret acquaintances in these visits, for they became more frequent than was prudent; and for fear of accidents, we were obliged to shut him up after supper.

  On our being removed to the Maison Despeaux amongst the prisoners of war, a French lady offered to be Trim’s security, in order to have him for a companion to her little daughter; and the fear of some clandestine proceedings on the part of the soldiers of the guard, induced me to comply, on finding it would give no umbrage to His Excellency the French governor and captain general. A fortnight had scarcely passed, when the public gazette of the island announced that he was no where to be found; and offered a reward of ten Spanish dollars*– to any one who would conduct him back to his afflicted little mistress. My sorrow may be better conceived than described; I would with pleasure have given fifty dollars to have had my friend and companion restored to me. All research and offers of recompense were in vain, poor Trim was effectually lost; and it is but too probable, that this excellent unsuspecting animal was stewed and eaten by some hungry black slave, in whose eyes all his merits could not balance against the avidity excited by his sleek body and fine furred skin.

  Thus perished my faithful intelligent Trim! The sporting, affectionate, and useful companion of my voyages during four years. Never, my Trim, “to take thee all in all, shall I see thy like again”; but never wilt thou cease to be regretted by all who had the pleasure of knowing thee. And for thy affectionate master and friend, – he promises thee, if ever he shall have the happiness to enjoy repose in his native country, under a thatched cottage surrounded by half an acre of land, to erect in the most retired corner, a monument to perpetuate thy memory and record thy uncommon merits; and this shall be thy epitaph.

  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.

  Returning to Europe in 1803, he was shipwrecked

  in the Great Equinoxial Ocean;

  This danger escaped, he sought refuge and assistance

  at the Isle of France, where

  he was made prisoner, contrary to the laws of

  Justice, of Humanit
y, and of

  French National Faith;

  and where, alas! he terminated his useful

  career, by an untimely death,

  being devoured by the Catophagi*

  of that island.

  Many a time have I beheld his little merriments with delight,

  and his superior intelligence with surprise:

  Never will his like be seen again!†

  Trim was born in the Southern Indian Ocean, in the

  year 1799, and

  and [sic] perished as above at the Isle of France

  in 1804.

  Peace be to his shade, and

  Honour to his memory

  Matthew Flinders: Trim’s Shipmate and Bedfellow

  Gillian Dooley Researcher & Writer

  Adelaide

  On 11 January 1807 Matthew Flinders was at Plaines Wilhems on the island of Mauritius (then called Île de France) in the Indian Ocean, where he had already been detained by the French governor, General Charles-Mathieu-Isodore Decaen, for more than three years. Naturally he was very frustrated by that, but he kept himself busy. He wrote in his journal:

  “When not otherwise occupied, I have lately employed myself, either in correcting my narrative, … – in reading Grants history of the Isle of France and making notes upon it, – or in translating into French the history of my cat Trim, which I wrote out for the purpose.1”