On July 1801 a young man from Manchester by the name of Samuel Smith set sail for Terra Australis. He had taken his place as a mere Landman - the lowest rank in the Royal Navy - aboard the Investigator. Under the command of the indefatigable Matthew Flinders, Smith was about to participate in one of the great voyages of exploration. Happily Smith was eager to share his experiences with posterity. His journal, published here in full for the first time, gives us an invaluable 'history from below decks' account of the voyage which gave Australia its shape and name.