m it t e d t o S ir W . H o o k e r . M r . R o e s ta r te d fr om Cap e R ic h e , an d p i'o c c cd ed n o r th - c a s t to th e
B r em e r R a n g e , la t . 3 2 ° 3 5 ' S ., lo n g . 1 2 0 ° 3 0 ' E ., an d th e n s o u th -e a s t t o R u s s e ll R a n g e , w h en c e lie
r e tu r n e d p a r a lle l t o th e s o u th c o a s t . T h e na r ra tiv e o f th is jo u r n e y , w h ic h c o n ta in s m u c h b o ta n ic a l
in fo rm a tio n , w a s p u b lish ed iu th e ‘ K ew J o u r n a l o f B o ta n y ,’ v o l. vi.
D r . F e rd in a n d A lu e lle r ’s e x te n s iv e jo u r n e y s a n d im p o r ta n t lab ou r s c om e n e x t u n d e r r ev iew .
T h e y e x t e n d a lr ead y o v e r a p e r iod o f t e n y e a r s o f u n in te r ru p ted e x e r tio n in t r a v e llin g , o r c o lle c t in g
an d d e s c r ib in g , o ften u n d e r c ii-cum stan c e s o f gi-eat h a rd sh ip an d d ifficu lty , an d ar e o f v e r y g r ea t
m e r it an d im p o r ta n c e .
D r . A lu e lle r fir st r e sid ed a t A d e la id e ,* w h e n c e h e r em o v ed to A le lb o u rn e , an d w as ap p o in ted
C o lo n ia l B o ta n is t a t V ic to r ia . I n 1 8 5 3 h e v is it e d th e F u lle r ’s R a n g e , M a y d a y H ills , th e Bu ffa lo
R a n g e s , M o u n t s A b e r d e e n and B u lle r , a n d th e Yar ra R a n g e s , w h en c e h e d e sc en d ed t o th e c o a sts
o f G ip p s L a n d , a n d r e tu rn ed t o M e lb o u rn e b y P o r t A lb e r t an d W ils o n ’s P r om o n to r y . I n th is
j o u r n e y h e tra v e r sed 1 ,5 0 0 m ile s , and c o lle c te d n e a r ly 1 ,0 0 0 sp e c ie s o f p la n ts . T h is j o u r n e y is n o tic ed
in h is ‘ F ir s t G e n e r a l R ep o r t,’ w h ich c o n ta in s a C a ta lo g u e o f th e F low e r in g P la n t s an d F e rn s o f
V ic to r ia .
I n 1 8 5 4 , D r . A lu e lle r v is ite d m o r e o f th e m o u n ta in s o f th e c o lo n y , an d e x p lo r ed m a n y o f th e
m o s t d ifficu lt r e g io n s o f S o u th A u s t r a lia ; h e a lso v is it e d L a k e A lb e r t , th e M u r r a y L a g o o n s , th e
C ob b oras M o u n ta in s , th e S n ow y an d B u c h a n r iv er s, a n d th e G ram p ia n an d V ic to r ia r an g e s. D u r in g
t h is e x p e d itio n a b o u t 2 ,5 0 0 m ile s w e r e tra v e r sed , an d u pw a rd s o f 5 0 0 a d d itio n a l p la n ts co lle c ted .
T h e s e ar e e n um e r a ted in D r . M u e lle r ’s ‘ S e c o n d R ep o r t,’ in w h ic h th e c a ta lo g u e o f V ic to r ia p la n ts is
r a ised t o 1 ,5 0 0 sp e c ie s.
I n 1 8 5 4 - 5 , D r . M u e lle r a g a in v is ited th e A u s t r a lia n a lp s, tra v e rsed th e A v o n R a n g e s , a sc en d ed
M o u n t W e llin g to n , c r o s s ed th e S n ow y P la in s , r ea ch ed th e B o g o n g R a n g e , an d m e a su r ed M o u n t s
H o th am a n d L a tr o h e ( 7 ,0 0 0 f e e t), th e lo f t ie s t in th e A u s tr a lia n c o n t in e n t. T h e n c e h e p ro c e ed ed to
th e A lu n y a n g M o u n ta in s , a n d a fte rw a rd s to th e s o u th -e a s t c o a st, w h en h e r e tu rn ed to V ic to r ia . T h e
a c c o u u t o f t h is jo u r n e y i s p u b lish ed in D r . M u e lle r ’s ‘ T h ird R ep o r t,’ w h e r e in th e V ic to r ia F lo r a is
r a ised t o 2 ,5 0 0 sp e c ie s, in c lu d in g C r y p to g am its , 1 ,7 0 0 b e in g flow e r in g p la n ts .
I n th e in te r v a ls b e tw e en th e s e jo u r n e y s D r . M u e lle r h a s b e en in c e s sa n t ly em p lo y ed in th e d u tie s
o f t h e B o ta n ic G a rd en , in a r r a n g in g an d d is t r ib u tin g h is h e rb a ria , an d in p u b lish in g tb e ir n o v e ltie s .
I n 1 8 5 5 , D r . M u e lle r a c com p an ied M r . G r e g o r y in h is c e leb ra ted e x p e d it io n a c ro ss n o r th e rn
A u s tr a lia . M r . G r eg o ry ’s p a r ty le f t S y d n e y in a sch o o n e r , c a r r y in g th e ir h o r se s a n d a ll m a te r ia l
w ith th em . O n th e v o y a g e o u t, D r . M u e lle r c o lle c t e d o u sev e ra l is la n d s o ff t h e e a s t a n d n o r th c o a sts
o f A u s tr a lia , an d la n d ed w ith th e p a r ty a t t h e m o u th o f th e V ic to r ia R iv e r , in n o r th -w e s t e r n A u s tr a lia ,
in S ep tem b e r . T h e r iv e r w a s a sc en d ed , an d th e c o u n tr y to th e so u th e x p lo r ed to th e lim its o f th e
G r e a t D e s e r t in la t. 1 8 ° 2 0 ' S ., lo n g . 1 2 7 ° 3 0 ' E . P r om th e V ic to r ia R iv e r th e y tra v e r sed A r n h e im ’s
L a n d , a n d k e ep in g w ith in a h u n d r ed m ile s o f t h e sea , r ea ch ed th e m o u th o f th e A lb e r t, in th e G u lf o f
Carp en taria, o n th e 3 0 th A u g u s t . N o t m e e tin g th e r e ■with th e ex p e c ted su p p lie s. A ir . G r e g o r y and
h is pa r ty p ro c e ed ed ea stw a rd , p a ra lle l t o th e c o a st, t o th e G ilb e r t R iv e r ; th e n c e th e y tra v e lled so u th e
a s t, c ro ssed th e b e a d o f th e L y n d , r e a ch ed th e B u rd ek in , fo llow ed it t o th e S u t to r , a n d th e S u tto r
t o th e B e y la n d o , th e M a c k e n z ie , an d th e D aw so n r iv e r s, w lie r e th e y r ea ch ed th e fir st s e t tle r s ’ s ta tio n
o n th e 2 2 n d N o v em b e r , an d fr om th e n c e pro c e ed ed to B r isb a n e and S y d n e y , w h ich w a s r ea ch ed
■without th e lo s s o f a m em b e r o f th e o v e r la n d E x p ed itio n .
* A sketch of the vegetation o f a part o f this colony, viz. o f the districts surrounding Lake Torrens, by Dr.
Mueller, wUl be found in the ‘ Kew Journal o f B otany,’ vol. v. p. 105.
T h is ex tra o rd in a ry jo u r n e y is se c o n d in p o in t o f in t e r e s t an d e x t e n t o f u n k n ow n c o u n tr y tra v e r sed
to L e ic h a r d t’s o n ly , an d , u n lik e h is , is n o le s s fru itfu l o f r e su lts in a b o ta n ic a l th a n in a g e o g r a p h ic a l
p o in t o f v iew . T h e e n e r g ie s o f D r . M u e lle r w e r e h e r e ta x ed to th e u t t e rm o s t ; an d th e c o lle c tio n s
a n d b o ta n ic a l o b se rv a tion s w h icb w e r e c o n t in u o u s ly a n d sy s t em a t ic a lly m a d e th r o u g h o u t th e jo u r n e y
w e r e b r o u g h t safe t o S y d n e y , a n d ab ou n d in n o v e lty a n d in t e r e s t . T h e s e h a v e b e en s e n t t o K ew ,
a n d a s e t r e ta in ed for th e h e rb a r ium a t M e lb o u rn e . A n e x c e lle n t a c c o u n t o f th e v e g e ta tio n o f tr o p
ica l A u s t r a lia w as d rawn u p b y D r . M u e lle r ,* an d com m u n ic a ted to th e L in n sean S o c ie ty , an d
p u b lish ed in it s J o u r n a l (v o l. ii. p. 1 3 7 ) , and m a n y o f th e p la n ts d isco v e r ed h a v e h e en p u b lish ed b y
h im s e lf in th a t work, in th e ‘ K ew J o u rn a l o f B o ta n y ,’ an d in th e ‘ T r a n sa c tio n s o f th e A'ictoria
I n s t itu t e .’
I t w o u ld b e b e y o n d tb c o b je c t o f t h is sk e tch to en te r in to m o r e d e ta il u p o n D r . A lu e lle r is p u b lica
tio n s , w h ic h w ill b e fo u n d in h is ‘ R e p o r t s ’ a llu d ed to , in th e p a g e s o f th e T r a n sa c tio n s o f tb e P h i-
lo so p liic a l S o c ie ty an d P h a rm a c eu tic a l S o c ie tie s o f V ic to r ia , in th e ‘ L in nm a ,’ in th e ‘ K ew J o u rn a l o f
B o ta n y ,’ an d in th e ‘ J o u rn a l o f th e L in n sean S o c ie ty o f L o n d o n .’
M r . B a b b a g e ’s e x p ed itio n to th e c o u n tr ie s a rou n d an d n o r th -e a s t o f L a k e T o r r en s w a s u n d e r ta
k e n in 1 8 5 8 . M r . B a b b a g e w as a c com p an ied b y a p la n t-c o lle c to r , Air. D a v id H e r g o lt, w h o se em s
to h a v e m a d e a g o o d h e rb a r ium , e sp e c ia lly co n s id e r in g th e d e se r t n a tu r e o f th e cou n tr y . T h e r e su
lt s are p u b lish ed in a sep arate R ep o r t on th e B o ta n y o f th e E x p ed itio n , b y D r . A lu e lle r (A^’ic to r ia ,
1 8 5 9 ).
I n 1 8 5 8 , an E x p e d itio n u n d e r Air. A . C. G r eg o ry w a s.d e sp a tch ed from A lo r e to n B a y t o d isco v e r
tr a c e s o f th e u n fo r tu n a te D r . L e ich a rd t, w h en c o lle c t io n s w e r e m a d e b v th a t officer a lo n g au d n ea r
th e Coope r’s R iv e r au d i t s tr ib u ta r ie s in su b c en tr a l A u s tr a lia , w h ich h a v e b e en en um e ra ted b y D r .
M u e lle r in th e o fficial Rep o r t.
I I I . COLONIAL BOTAXISTS AND GARDENS.
T h e fir st C o lo n ia l B o ta n is t o f w h om I h a v e a n y in fo rm a tio n w as Air. Ch a r le s Fra se r , w lio , a s I
am in fo rm ed , w as a so ld ie r in th e 7 3 rd R e g im e n t, th e n c om m a n d ed b y L ie u t .-C o l. AI'Q u ar ie . H e was
an in d e fa tig a b le c o lle c to r an d exp lo re r, an d em ic h e d th e g a rd en s o f E n g la n d b y n um b e r le ss p la n ts.
H is c o lle c tio n s o f d ried p la u ts are, I b e lie v e , in th e B r itish M u s eum , an d m a n y are in th e H o o k e r ia n
H e rb a r ium . H e v is ited th e Sw a u R iv e r iu 1 8 2 6 - 7 , and A lo r e to n B a y in 1 8 2 8 , a n d w ro te e x c e lle n t
a c c o u n ts o f t h e v e g e ta tio n o f th o s e d is tr ic ts (se e H o o k . B o t. A lisc . v o l. i. pp. 2 2 1 an d 2 3 7 ) . A ir. F ra se r
a lso v is ited T a sm a n ia , an d e s ta b lish ed th e B o ta n ic G a rd en in S y d n e y . H e d ied a t th e c lo s e o f 1 8 3 1
or h e gm n in g o f 1 8 3 2 . Ou F ra se r ’s d ea th , A ir. J o h n A I'L ean b e c am e A c t in g S u p e r in ten d en t, and
h e ld th a t p o s t t ill th e arrival o f R . C u n n in g h am .
M r . R ich a rd C u n n in g h am w a s a p p o in ted in 1 8 3 3 , an d w a s m u rd e red in 1 8 3 5 b y th e B la ck s,
w h en a c c om p a n y in g A lajor M it c h e ll’s se con d jom -u cy (se e p . c x x .) , w h en M r . A l‘L e a n a g a iu b e cam e
A c t in g S u p e r in ten d en t, an d co n tin u ed so t ill th e a r rival o f A lla n C u n u iu g h am in 1 8 3 6 , a s m en tio
n ed in th e n o tic e o f liis lif e (p. c x v i.) . A . C um r iu gh am so o n a fte r r e sig n ed , w h en h e w a s su c ce
ed ed b y A ir . J o h n A n d e r so n , th e b o ta n ic a l c o lle c to r o f C ap ta in K in g ’s v o y a g e to S o u th A m e r ic a aud
su rv ey o f th e S t r a its o f A la g c lh a en s, e tc . I t was o n K in g ’s h om ew a i’d v o y a g e th a t A n d c i’so n w a s le ft
a t S y d n e y , w h e r e h e m ad e con sid e rab le co lle c tio n s , an d h e ld th e a p p o in tm en t o f S u p e r in te n d e n t o f th e
G ard en t ill h is d c a tli, w h en h e w as su c c e ed ed , iu 1 8 4 7 , b y Air. C h a r le s A loore , th e p r e sen t a c tiv e
* See page xxxix of tliis Essay.