SUMMARY OF TH E VOYAGE.
peculiar productions are confined to the narrowest limits, is a strong argument in favour
of a general distribution of vegetable life over separate spots on the globe. Hence it
will appear, that islands so situated furnish the best materials for a rigid comparison of
the effects of geographical position and the various meteorological pliieuomena on vegetation,
and for acquiring a knowledge o f the great laws according to which plants are
distributed over the face of the globe. These subjects are however foreign to the present
sketch, the author of which hopes, ere long, to have an opportunity of dwelling
upon them at large and in a different form.
Those persons who have spent a series of years on the ocean, in pursuit of a favourite
science, know how little can be effected by the unaided effbrts of one individual, and
where much is accomplished, how large is the debt of obligation incurred, not only to the
facilities afforded by shipmates, but to the accommodating disposition of those with
whom he comes in daily contact, and with whom he literally shares one cabin and one
table. The author may here be allowed to say, that no man can be more deeply sensible
than he 13 of the rare privilege he enjoyed, in having messmates who were ever ready
to sacrifice their own convenience for his accommodation. Most especially does he feel
it incumbent on him here to return his thanks to the commanding Officer of the expedition
(as is his first duty) for the opportunity afforded of accompanying him, for the
kindness always shown during this the most important and interesting scientific voyage
that has been accomplished since the days of Cook, and for the generous manner in
which that officer’s private cabin and library were unreservedly placed at his disposal
during the whole time the expedition was afloat. Attached as Sir James Clark Ross has
ever been to the various branches of Natural History, he took a pleasure in promoting
the interests of the collections at all times, and himself gathered many of the plants
here described.
There were few of the officers of either ship who did not contribute something to
the collection o f plants ; but the botanist feels it peculiarly imperative on him here to
enumerate and return his especial thanks to Mr. Lyall, Lieut. Smith, and Mr. Davis.
Mr. Lyall indeed, as appointed to take charge of the botanical collections on board the
“ Terror,” formed a most important herbarium, from which great assistance has been
derived, amounting to no less than 1500 species.
BOTANY
OF
THE ANTARCTIC VOYAGE.
FLORA ANTARCTICA.
I. L O R D A U C K L A N D ’S G R O U P A N D C A M P B E L L ’S IS L A N D .
U n d e r this head will be considered the Botany of the few small islands which lie to
the south of New Zealand, at least so far as have hitherto been examined. O f these,
the two most important. Lord Auckland’s group, in 50^° S. lat., 166° E. long., and
Campbell’s Island, lat. 5 2 i° S. and long. 169° E., were visited by the “ Erebus and
Terror,” and the former also by the French and American Discovery Ships*.
Upon M'Quarrie’s Island, lat. 55° S., long. 159° E., a very few plants have been
collected, which are deposited in the herbarium of Mr. Brown, and some in that o f Sir
William Hooker, at Kew. I am not aware that any account has been published o f these
islands, nor of Emerald Island (lat. 57° S., long. 163° E.), the botany o f which is entirely
unknown, but which probably in this meridian constitutes the southern extreme of
terrestrial vegetation. Floating masses of Macrocystis and D'Urvilloea are found, however,
living and growing on the limits of the pack-ice, as far as the parallel o f 64° S.
The Flora of these islands is closely related to that of New Zealand, and does
not partake in any of those features which characterize Australian vegetation. Most
of the plants may indeed be presumed to exist on the unexplored mountains, especially
those of the middle and southern islands, of New Zealand ; but others are doubtless
peculiar to those higher southern latitudes which they inhabit, thus being analogous to
* A few of the plants collected by the French have been published by two of the officers of Admiral
D’Urville’s Expedition, under the title of ■ Voyage an Pole Sud, Botanique.’
VOL. 1.
1^1