User:Wee Curry Monster/Brisbane, Matthew

Matthew Brisbane (1787 - 1833) was an antarctic explorer, sealer and an instrumental figure in the early history of the Falkland Islands. A compatriot of famous explorers such as Weddell, Ross and Fitzroy, he was shipwrecked three times in antarctic waters but survived, overcoming tremendous hardships. Brisbane became an instrumental figure in Falkland Islands history after he accepted a position with Vernet as his deputy.

Early Life
Little is known of Brisbane's early life, he was born in Perth, Tayside in 1787 but his exact birth date is unknown. It appears that he was a merchant sailor during the Napoleonic Wars but there is no record of his service in the Royal Navy. His brother was the master of a brig that traded between Liverpool and Quebec.

Antarctic Exploration
Brisbane first rose to public attention though his association with James Weddell, the famous Antarctic explorer. Brisbane was the commander of the small cutter Beaufoy with a crew of 13; the Beaufoy being owned by Weddell. Weddell in the Jane and Brisbane in the Beaufoy departed England on 17 September 1822. Weddell initially sailed for Madeira for provisions for the Antarctic voyage, whilst Brisbane headed for Bonavista in the Cape Verde islands for a cargo of salt with which to cure seal skins. In December, they met up at Port St Elena in what is now modern-day Chile. Brisbane sailed south to hunt for seals arranging to rendezvous with Weddell at Penguin Island on the Patagonian coast. On New Years Day 1823, they met up once again before sailing south to the South Orkney Islands. Discovered by Nathaniel Brown Palmer and George Powell in 1821, little was known at the time about the islands and Weddell intended to explore them for seals and to conduct a hydrographic survey. They arrived in the islands on 12 January 1823 and began sealing but with little success. Brisbane conducted a rough survey of the southern coasts of the islands and in response Weddell named the cliffs on the north point of Powell Island Brisbane's Bluff (now known as Cape Faraday). Weddell and Brisbane sailed further south in the hope of finding more islands but made slow progress due to the combination of adverse weather and the need to heave to at night to avoid collision with ice floes. By 27 January they had reached 64° 58' S, where the decision was made to sail north to look for islands between the South Orkney and South Sandwich Islands. Finding none, the pair headed south again and on the 20 February 1823 reached 74° 15' S setting a record for the furthest voyage south that lasted till James Clark Ross' voyage of 1842.

Sealing
During the voyage around the South Orkney Islands the expedition had tried sealing but with little success. In February, and with the season drawing short Weddell made the decision to head North toward South Georgia. After spending a month there, the two ships sailed to the Falkland Islands to spend the winter. Whilst the Jane was prepared for winter gales, the Beaufoy was used to scout for fur seals. In October, the decision was made to sail south again to the South Orkney Islands but found the conditions were terrible with both vessels damaged by ice and the men frost bitten. Both set sail North for Tierra del Fuego and continued sealing along the Patagonian coast. The ships them split up with Brisbane sailing for the Falkland Islands and South Georgia in January. The two intended to rendezvous in March off the coast of Patagonia but having missed each other sailed back to London. Brisbane in the Beaufoy arrived there on 20 June 1824, some two weeks before Weddell.

On 23 August 1824, Brisbane set sail in the Beaufoy for another sealing voyage along the Patagonian coast and the Falkland Islands. On 15 January 1826, the Beaufoy set sail to return to England arriving on 29 March 1826.

Shipwrecks
On 16 June 1826, Brisbane became the master of the 103 ton schooner Prince of Saxe-Coburg outfitted for sealing in the South Orkney Islands. This voyage proved to be disastrous, first meeting atrocious weather and then pack ice that damaged the ship, Brisbane made the decision to run for Tierra del Fuego in order to make repairs. There on 16 December 1826, whilst anchored in Fury Bay on the southern end of the Cockburn Channel the schooner was driven ashore by violent williwaws. Brisbane survived with his entire crew, managing to salvage three of the schooner's boats and provisions. A camp was set up on shore and then Brisbane set about organising a rescue, whilst simultaneously dealing with an increasingly mutinous crew. Seven of the crew volunteered to take the largest boat to make for Rio Negro over a 1000 miles away (they succeeded and immediately volunteered to serve in the Argentine navy in the conflict with Brazil). Meanwhile, Brisbane continued to organise the survivors sending out patrols in the remaining two boats and setting the crew to work constructing a vessel from the wreck of the Prince of Saxe-Coburg. On 3 March 1827, one of the boats was spotted by HMS Beagle who rescued the survivors.

Brisbane returned to London in 1827, finding another command the 143 ton schooner Hope and left once more for the South Atlantic on 17 January 1828. In April of 1829, the Hope was wrecked of the coast of South Georgia. Brisbane and the crew constructed a shallop from the wreckage and sailed for Montevideo. On 9 April he made landfall in Rio Negro, then sailed North in the smack Triunfo arriving in Buenos Aires on 2 May. Ten of his crew remained at South Georgia, so Brisbane set about organising a rescue. In Buenos Aires, he met Luis Vernet from whom he chartered the American Brig Betsy to rescue the remaining crew members.

Brisbane's third and final shipwreck was aboard the sealer Bellville under the command of Captain Bray. This wrecked on the east coast of Tierra del Fuego. Again the cew consructed a shallop from the wreckage but were hampered in the task by the local Fuegians who constantly pilfered tools and supplies. Supplies were exhausted in early April and the crew nearly starved surviving on a diet of hides, putrid blubber, berries, limpets and fish. The shallop was finished on 1 May and the voyage in a very leaky boat began. Cape Meredith on West Falkland was sighted four days later and the crew arrived in Port Louis on 30 May.

Falkland Islands
At Port Louis, Brisbane once again met the entrepeneur Luis Vernet and became his director of fisheries. In 1830, he visited Buenos Aires and gave notice in the British Packet and Argentine News of Vernet's fishing claims and warnings to sealers. The British consul in Buenos Aires, Woodbine Parish, warned Brisbane not to interfere with British commerce in the islands. In July 1831, Brisbane and Vernet seized the American vessels Superior, Breakwater and Harriet. The Breakwater escaped and the Superior was allowed to continue sealing on Vernet's terms. Vernet returned in the Harriet to Buenos Aires to arrange for a trial.

The seizure of the American ships proved to be a disastrous move for the small settlement at Port Louis. The USS Lexington had been sent to re-inforce the Brazil Squadron to protect American commerce, in part a response to Argentine proclamations on sealing and fishing in the South Atlantic. Under the command of Silas M.Duncan the Lexington sailed for Port Louis to put an end to what was regarded by the US as a "nest of pirates". On 31 December 1831, the Lexington came to anchor off Port Louis, Brisbane and six others were arrested on charges of piracy, the guns of the settlement spiked and the powder magazine blown. Duncan also offered passage to any from the settlement that wished to leave and the majority of the population took up this opportunity to leave the islands. The Lexington arrived in Montevideo on 3 February 1832, where those given passage were released but Brisbane and six others remained as prisoners until 16 April when they were transferred to the USS Warren. Brisbane and the others were later released on the orders of Commodore Rodgers.

Brisbane soon returned to the Falkland Islands acting as pilot for Lt Col Pinedo commander of the ARA Sarandi, which transported Major Juan Mestivier to the islands to take up his post as governor and to establish a penal colony. Shortly after the Sarandi left to survey the islands Mestivier was murdered, leaving the settlement in uproar. Pinedo returned and had put down the mutiny with the assistance of a British schooner when on the 3 January HMS Clio appeared off Port Louis and delivered the message that the UK intended to re-assert sovereignty over the islands. Brisbane returned to Buenos Aires in the Sarandi where he resigned as pilot.

Brisbane returned to the Falklands in March 1833 aboard the schooner Rapid, at the time of the first visit by HMS Beagle under the command of Captain Fitzroy and with Charles Darwin on board as naturalist. Brisbane was reunited with one of the officer who had saved his life when he was wrecked in the Prince of Saxe-Coburg. Brisbane visited the Beagle presenting his papers to Captain Fitzroy showing that he was acting as Vernet's private agent and was there to look after the remains of Vernet's private property. Brisbane and Fitzroy had a natural affinity and discussed a broad range of subjects; Fitzroy notes his diary his gratitude for a great deal of information about the Falklands. However, on leaving Fitzroy expressed his concern for the settlement with its lack of regular authority in a virtually lawless group of islands.

Brisbane resumed his position as Vernet's agent and with other senior members of the settlement tried to rebuild Vernet's business interests. He recommenced paying the Gauchos in promissory notes issued by Vernet, which led to conflict within the settlement. The Gauchos resented the reimposition of authority and wanted to be paid in silver as Captain Onslow of the Clio had done. The situation was exacerbated by the devaluation of the promissory notes as a result of Vernet's reduced status.

Death
On the 26 August 1833, five Indian Convicts and three gauchos led by Antonio Rivero embarked on a killing spree which resulted in the deaths of Brisbane and the senior leaders of the settlement. Thomas Helsby, a clerk in the employ of Vernet, wrote an account of the murders :

On the morning of the 26th of August as above mentioned, Captain Low left the colony in a whale boat with four hands, (viz) Faustin Martinez, Francis Muchado, Jose Manuel Prado, and the man of colour Antonio Manuel, for the purpose of sealing the North & South rocks, at the mouth of the sound, calling at Johnsons Harbour. About 10 AM of the same date, I walked down from Captain Brisbane's house towards the store on the point, for the purpose of procuring some oil from William Dickson, whom I found with Henry Channen, Daniel McKay and Joseph Douglas, in the house of Antonio Wagner.

I returned immediately afterwards towards the flagstaff with Henry Channen, leaving the three aforementioned persons with Antonio Wagner, in his house. When I had passed the house of Santiago Lopez, I met Antonio Rivero, Jose Maria Luna, Juan Brasido, Manuel Gonzales, Luciano Flores, Manuel Godoy, Felipe Salagar and Lattorre, running towards the point armed with muskets, pistols, swords, dirks and knives. It was very evident they were going to kill someone, and I hastened towards the house of Captain Brisbane, for the purpose of informing him of what was going on. On my arrival I was alarmed at finding the doors locked and after knocking some time, was surprises at learning from two of the women that the aforesaid eight men had killed Captain Brisbane, Juan Simon (the Capitaz) and had left Don Ventura for dead, he having been wounded by a musket ball in his throat, his head cut open, and his hand almost cut off by a sword, afterwards he escaped by a back window, and reached the house of Antonina Roxa, about 50 or 60 yards distant. On my way up from the point, I heard two musket shots fired at the house of Antonio Wagner, where they killed him, and William Dickson, to which two of the boats crew Joseph Douglas and Daniel McKay, were eye witness.

They then returned to the house of Captain Brisbane, and not finding the body of Don Ventura, searched for him and on finding him, he ran out, when I saw him killed by their firing 2 or 3 musket shots at him. On being informed what had taken place by the women on my arrival from the point, I was attempting my escape by running into the camp, but was soon overtaken by Felipe Salagar, who was on horse back, and seeing that it was impossible to get from him, I walked towards him, he had a drawn sword in his hand. Afterwards I got upon the South side of the garden wall to see where the remaining seven men were, when they passed along the outside of the South wall entered the garden gate and came across it to shoot me, and ordered me off the wall for that purpose. Some conversation took place among them and I was spared, but I was ignorant at that time by whose interposition; this occurred immediately on their return from killing Antonio Wagner and William Dickson, and before they missed the body of Ventura.

I was ordered by them into Captain Brisbane's house, and there first saw his body lying dead upon the floor, he appeared to have been making towards his pistols before he fell, and there was smile of contempt or disdain very strongly marked in his countenance. They dragged his body with a horse to a considerable distance, and plundered the house.

After abusing Brisbane's corpse by dragging it around the settlement behind a horse, Brisbane was buried in a shallow grave. Visiting the Falklands a year later on the Beagle's second visit to the islands, Captain Fitzroy was appalled to find Brisbane's feet protuding above the ground in a shallow grave and that dogs had fed on the corpse.

When I visited the settlement it looked more melancholy than ever; and at two hundred yards' distance from the house in which he had lived, I found, to my horror, the feet of poor Brisbane protruding above the ground. So shallow was his grave that dogs had disturbed his mortal remains, and had fed upon the corpse. This was the fate of an honest, industrious, and most faithful man: of a man who feared no danger, and despised hardships. He was murdered by villains, because he defended the property of his friend; he was mangled by them to satisfy their hellish spite; dragged by a lasso, at a horse's heels, away from the houses, and left to be eaten by dogs.

Memorials
Brisbane was reburied in 1842 by James Clark Ross, then in the Falklands with the Erebus and Terror. A simple wooden memorial was erected inscribed with:

The wooden marker remained till 1906 by which time it had become illegible through weathering, it was replace within another marked with the same inscription. In 1933, it was replaced with a marble slab laid by Governor O'Grady. The wooden marker is now in Stanley museum.

In Stanley itself there is Brisbane Road. Brisbane is also memorialised by Cape Brisbane and Mount Beaufoy on Henderson Island in Tierra del Fuego and by Brisbane Heights on Coronation Island in the South Orkney Islands.