p a r ty arr iv ed in H a n o v e r B a y {lat. 1 5 ° S .) in 1 8 3 7 , -whence sev e ra l in la n d jo u r n e y s w e r e m a d e to
th e so u th -w e s t , an d th e G le n e lg R iv e r disco v e r ed .
C ap ta in G r e y ’s se c o n d e x p e d itio n w a s m a d e in w h a le -b o a ts , w h ich h e to o k w ith h im in a
s a ilin g -v e s s e l from Sw a n R iv e r . H e fir st la u d ed o n B e rn ie r I s la n d (lat. 2 5 ° S .) , wh e r e h e m a d e a
d e p o t ; th e n c e h e c ro ssed to th e G a s c o y n e R iv e r , an d exp lo r ed th e c o a sts for s om e m ile s to th e n o r th ward,
an d a fte r en c o u n t e r in g g r e a t difficixlties a n d h a rd sh ip s, h e r e tu rn ed to B e r n ie r I s la n d , whe re
h e fo u u d th a t th e s to r e s h a d b e e n u t te r ly d e s tr o y ed b y tb e o c ea n , w h ich d u r in g th e s to rm y in te r v a l
h ad sw ep t o v e r th e is la n d . T h is o b lig e d C ap ta in G r e y t o r e tu rn to tb e m a in la n d , w h ic h h e
r ea ch ed a t G a n th e a um e B a y (lat. 2 7 ° 5 0 ' S .) . H e r e th e b o a ts w e r e ab an d on ed , an d tb e ov er lan d
jo u r n e y to Sw a n R iv e r c om m en c ed , w h ich w a s r ea ch ed b y a r em n a n t o f tb e pai’ty a fte r h a v in g
su ffe r ed in c r e d ib le h a rd sh ip s from sta r v a tio n and th e n a tu r a l d ifficu ltie s o f th e c o u n tr y . O f c o u r s e
n o c o lle c t io n s o f p la n ts w e r e b r o u g h t b a ck , b u t th e c om m a n d e r ’s n a r r a tiv e ab ou n d s in v a lu a b le
o b se r v a tio n s on th e v e g e ta tio n o f th e c o u n tr ie s v is it e d . A m o n g s t m a u y o th e r o b se r v a tio n s w o r th y
o f n o t e , are th a t o f a n A r a u c a r ia o c cu r r in g o n th e m o u n ta in s o f th e in te r io r , o f a Sn-an R iv e r
B a n k s ia n e a r P r in c e R e g e n t ’s R iv e r , o f Xan th o i'rh c ea a t ta in in g th e la titu d e o f 2 8 ° , a n d Z am ia o f
2 9 ° , in w h ich la t itu d e th e c om m o n S ow th is tle appears t o h a v e b e en fo u n d a b u n d a n tly . M a n y
n o tic e s o f ed ib le p la n ts are sca tte r ed th r o u g h tb e n a r ra tiv e , in c lu d in g th a t o f a ‘ W ild O a t,’ w ith
la r g e g r a in s, w h ic h C ap ta in G r e y s ta t e s h a s b e e n cu ltiv a te d w ith su c c e s s a s a c e r ea l in th e isla n d o f
A la u r itiu s.
J Ia jo r A litc h e ll’s e x te n s iv e jo u r n e y s c om e n e x t u n d e r r e r iew , au d ow in g t o h is g r ea t fo n d n e s s
for n atm 'al h is to r y , an d e x c e lle n t s y s t em o f ob se rv a tio n , h is w r itin g s an d h is c o lle c tio n s h a v e b o th
proved em in e n tly u s e fu l iu a d v an c in g ou r k n ow le d g e o f A u s tr a lia n b o ta n y .
A lit c b e ll’s first E x p e d itio n o r ig in a te d in a r ep o r t o f tb e e x is te n c e o f a la r g e r iv e r in c en tr a l
A u s tr a lia , ca lled th e K in d u r , in sea r ch o f w h ic h h e sta r ted in N o v em b e r , 1 8 3 1 . H is p a r ty p ro c
e ed ed n o r thw a rd fr om S y d n e y , c ro ssed th e r iv er s H aw k e sb u r y an d H u n t e r , and th e n th e wa te r sh
ed in la t . 3 2 ° S ., lo n g . 1 5 1 ° E . ; th e n c e th e y tra v e r sed L iv e rp o o l P la in s , an d tra c ed th e G w y d y r
t o la t . 2 9 ° S ., r e tu r n in g to S y d n e y in M a r ch . T h e c o lle c tio n s w e r e d iv id ed b e tw e en M r . B r ow n a n d
D r . L in d le y .
T h e se c o n d E x p e d itio n w a s o rg an iz ed in 1 8 3 5 , to ex p lo r e th e co u r se o f th e D a r lin g R iv e r . O n th is
jo u r n e y th e B o g a ? R iv e r w as fo llow ed from it s so u r c e s to it s ju n c t io n w ith th e D a r lin g in la t. 3 0 ° S .,
lo n g . 1 4 6 ° E ., a n d th e la tt e r r iv e r, th e n c e tra c ed in a s o u th -w e s te rn d ir e c tio n t o la t . 3 2 ° 3 0 ' an d lo n g .
1 4 2 ° 3 0 '. R ich a rd C u n n in g h am , th e b ro th e r o f A lla n , w h o w a s th e n C o lo n ia l B o ta n is t, a c com p an ied
M a jo r A litc h e ll, an d w a s m u rd e r ed b y th e B la c k s . T h e p la n ts -were g iv en t o D r . L in d le y , b y w h om
m a n y h a v e b e e n d esc r ib ed in n o t e s t o th e ‘ J o u rn a l o f th e E x p e d it io n .’ T h e T rig o n e lla su a v is s im a
w a s fo u n d o n th is jo u r n e y , an d co p io u s ly u sed a s an e x c e lle n t S p in a ch .
M it c h e ll’s th ird E x p e d itio n le f t S y d n e y in 1 8 3 6 , w ith th e o b je c t o f fo llow in g th e D a r lin g from th e
p o in t w h e r e h e h ad le f t i t to i t s co n flu en c e w ith th e M u r ra y . T h is p la n w a s h ow e v e r m o d ified , and
th e L a ch la n r iv e r was fo llow ed in s te a d to i t s ju n c tio n w ith th e A lu r rum b id g e e , a n d th e la t te r to its
•con flu en ce w ith th e M u r ra y , w h ic h w a s tra c ed to th e D a r lin g in la t. 3 4 ° S . an d lo n g . 1 4 2 ° E . : th e n c e th e
p a r ty r e tu rn ed t o th e M u r rum b id g e e , an d pro c e ed ed in a s o u th -w e s te rn d ir e c tio n t o th e m o u n ta in s o f
\ i c t o r i a . T h e r e M o u n t W illiam (alt. 4 ,5 0 0 fe e t) w as asc en d ed , an d m a n y p la n ts fo u n d an d ob se rv a tio
n s m ad e o u tb e p e c u lia r ity o f tb e a lp in e v e g e ta t io n . I n J u ly th e p a r ty r ea ch ed th e G le n e lg
R iver , an d fo llow ed i t to th e sea a t D is c o v e r y B a y , in B a s s ’ S tr a its , w h ich th e y rea ch ed in A u g u s t .
T h e r e tu rn jo u r n e y w a s m a d e th r o u g h th e h e a r t o f th e V ic to r ia a lp s, c r o s s in g th e B a g u n g nm , M u r ra
y , a n d M u r rum b id g e e r iv e rs h ig h u p iu tb e ir cou r se , an d r e a c h in g G o u lb u rn in N ew S o u th W a le s
in th e fo llow in g N o v em b e r . I n th is v e ry ex tra o rd in a ry jo u r n e y M it c h e ll w as a c com p an ied b y a g o o d
p la n t- c o lle c to r n am ed R ich a rd so n , an d th e c o lle c tio n s w e r e b r o u g h t sa fe and in g o o d c o n d itio n to
S y d n e y , and s e n t to D r . L in d le y , b y w h om m a n y h a v e b e en d e scr ib ed .
T h e n a r ra tiv e s o f th e th r e e jo u r n e y s w e r e p u b lish ed in tw o v o lum e s , 8 v o ; th e y ab ou n d in u se fu l
an d in s tr u c t iv e in fo rm a tio n to th e g e o g rap h e r , a n d e sp e c ia lly to th e n a tu r a lis t. D r . L in d le y ’s d e s
c r ip tio n s ar e a p p en d ed a s n o t e s to th e p a g e s o f th e v o lum e , an d r en d e r i t a m o s t im p o r ta n t work to
th e b o ta n ist.
M it c h e ll’s fo u r th E x p e d itio n w as to su b tro p ica l A u s tr a lia , a n d w a s u n d e r ta k en in tb e h o p e o f
d isc o v e r in g a r iv e r f low in g in to th e G u lf o f C arp en tar ia, w h ic h w o u ld ta k e m u ch o f th e A u str a lia n
prod u c e t o th e sea w ith o u t p a ssin g th r o u g h T or re s S t r a it s . V e r y fin e c o lle c tio n s w e r e m a d e in th is
jo u rn e y , c h ie fly am o n g s t a g rou p o f m o u n ta in s 2 - 3 ,0 0 0 f e e t h ig h , d isco v e r ed in la t. 2 5 ° S . an d lo n g .
1 4 7 ° E . T lie p la n ts w e r e g iv en to D r . L in d le y an d S ir W . H o o k e r , b y w h om d e sc r ip tio n s wer e
d raw n up an d appended to th e na r ra tiv e o f tb e jo u r n e y , w h ich w a s p u b lish ed in 1 8 4 8 .* L ik e A lit-
c h e ll’s o th e r w o rk s, th is c o n ta in s e x c e lle n t lan d scap e s from sk e t c h e s m a d e b y h im se lf, w h ich g iv e
fa ith fu l a s w e ll a s a r tis t ic a lly g o o d v iew s o f th e v e g e ta tio n h e d e sc r ib e s, an d r en d er h is w o rk s as
a ttr a c tiv e a s th e y are u s e fu l to th e n a tu ra list.
I n 1 8 4 4 th e lam e n te d D r . L u dw ig L e ich a rd t, after sp en d in g sev e ra l y e a r s in N ew S o u th W a le s ,
sta r ted o n h is ad v en tu ro u s jo u rn e y from A lo r e to n B a y t o P o r t E s s in g to n . T h is E x p e d it io n o r ig in a ted
in p r iv a te en te rp r ise , b u t i t w as p rom o ted b y a p u b lic su b sc r ip tio n in tb e c o lo n y , a n d I h a v e h e n c e
c la ssed i t am o n g s t th e C o lo n ia l en te rp r ise s. S ta r t in g from A lo r e to n B a y , h e pro c e ed ed nortli--ivest to
th e G u lf o f C arp en tar ia, c o a sted it s h ead , an d t ra v e lled n o r thw a rd s th r o u g h A r n h e im ’s L a n d to P o r t
E s s in g to n , w h ich b e r e a ch ed a fte r a jo u rn e y o f a y e a r and tw o m o n th s .
T h e na r ra tiv e o f D r . L e ich a rd t, wh o appears t o h a v e h ad a v e ry c o n sid e ra b le k n ow le d g e o f b o ta n y ,
c o n ta in s as m u c b B o ta n y as G eo g ra p h y , an d is b y far th e fu lle s t p u b lish ed d e ta iled a c c o u n t o f th e
tr o p ic a l v e g e ta tio n o f th e in te r io r o f A u s tr a lia th a t w e p osse ss.
I n D e c em b e r 1 8 4 6 , D r . L e ich a rd t sta r ted from S y d n e y w ith th e v iew o f c r o s s in g A u s tr a lia from
M o r e to n B a y to Sw a n R iv e r , a jo u r n e y w h ich h e ca lcu la ted w o u ld o c cu p y tw o y e a r s an d a h alf.
S in c e liis d epar tur e, h ow ev e r , from a p o in t on h is pr ev iou s jo u rn e y , a lit t le to th e n o r th -w e s t o f
A lo r c to n B a y , n o th in g h a s b e en b ea rd o f th is a c com p lish ed m an and a d v en tu ro u s exp lo re r.
D r . L e ieb a v d t’s c o lle c tio n s b e cam e , I b e liev e , th e p rop e r ty o f b is fr ien d th e la te A ir . L in d , bar ra
ck -m a ste r in S y d n e y , and we re e v e n tu a lly s o ld .t
I n 1 8 4 0 , C ap tain E y r e ’s p e r ilo u s jo u r n e y from A d e la id e to th e Sw a u R iv e r p ro v ed th e u tte r
s t e r ility o f th e w a te r le ss c o a s t w h ich h e tra v e rsed . B e tw e e n th e m e r id ia n s o f S tr e a k y B a y and
L u c k y B a y th e r e appears t o b e sca r c e ly an y v e g e ta tio n a t a ll, e x c e p t o n th e o u t ly in g isla n d s, o n som e
o f w h ich B r ow n h ad b o ta n iz ed w h en in F lin d e r s ’ v o y a g e , an d o n w h ich h e appear s to h a v e fo u n d ve ry
lit t le . A t th e m e r id ian o f 1 1 8 ° a g a in th e p e cu lia r v eg e ta tio n o f s o u th -w e s te r n A u s tr a lia c om m en c e s,
as we k n ow from Air. R o e ’s ex p lo r a tio n s, w h ich n e x t c om e u n d e r r c r iew .
I n 1 8 4 8 a jo itrn e y o f d isco v e ry in to th e in te r io r o f s o u th -w e s te rn A u str a lia w as u n d e r ta k en b y
J . S . R o e , E sq ., S u rv e y o r -G en e r a l, d u r in g w h ic li e x c e lle n t c o lle c tio n s o f p la n ts wer e m ad e and tr a n s-
* An abstract of this journey was also communicated to the ‘ London Journal of Botany ’ (vol. vi, p. 3G4) by
R. Heward, Esq.
t Some fui'ther information regarding Dr. Leichardt’s expeditions will he found in the ' London Journal of
Botany,’ vols. iv., v., vi., and vii., communicated by P. B. Webb, Esq., and R. Heward, Esq.