[Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2] by Phillip Parker King]@TWC D-Link bookNarrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2] CHAPTER 5 437/583
184, 185. Ency.Method.ut supra Animal. Captain King brought home several minute species of Nautilus, which will be taken notice of at a future period, as they require particular examination and minute comparison with those found upon the coasts of Italy and other parts of Europe. Note.
Specimens of the shells in the above catalogue, to which the following numbers refer, have been presented to the British Museum, namely, 2, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 28, 29, 31, 46, 48, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 102 and 103. ... A FEW GENERAL REMARKS ON THE VEGETATION OF CERTAIN COASTS OF TERRA AUSTRALIS, AND MORE ESPECIALLY OF ITS NORTH-WESTERN SHORES. BY MR.
ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, COLLECTOR TO THE ROYAL GARDENS AT KEW. It having been resolved by the British Government to employ a colonial vessel from the settlement of Port Jackson in New South Wales, for the purpose of exploring the whole of the North-western Coasts of New Holland, and that portion of the North Coast, not seen by that able navigator, the late Captain Flinders; a most favourable opportunity was thereby afforded for a partial examination of the plants of those unknown shores, with a view of adding to our progressively augmenting knowledge of the very interesting Flora of this southern continent. Having materially profited by a twelvemonth's previous residence in New South Wales, acquainting myself with the characters (and principal peculiarities of structure) of many genera of plants absolutely proper to Terra Australis; and particularly in that period, throughout the progress of a long and very interesting journey in the interior, to the westward of Port Jackson, I was most happy and desirous to obey an instruction I received from the Right Honourable Sir Joseph Banks, on behalf of the Government, directing me to place myself under the orders of Captain P.P. King, to whom the execution of this important service had been intrusted, and to accompany him to those particular coasts, destined for his investigation, in order to form and prepare such collections of their vegetation, for the use of His Majesty's gardens at Kew, as circumstances, and the particular season of the year proper for visiting those shores, might afford me.
My very limited knowledge of the plants of that continent, especially of genera, that form a striking feature in its Flora, was moreover essentially improved during our stay at King George's Sound on the South-west Coast, previous to our arrival upon the North-west Coast, at the commencement of the first voyage of His Majesty's cutter the Mermaid. Although the reader may inform himself, from Captain King's relation of the several voyages, of the opportunities that were afforded me in forming my collections of plants, still it appears necessary, in this place, to take a general retrospective view of those parts of the coasts under examination, whereon my researches were made, adverting, at the same time, to the prevalent unfavourable seasons for flowering plants, during which it should seem the survey of the North-west Coast could alone be effected with safety. During the progress of the survey of the southern extreme of the North-west Coast (at which part Captain King commenced his examinations, in 1818) I landed in Exmouth Gulf, then upon one of the islands of Dampier's Archipelago, at the Intercourse Islands, and on Malus Island; but the results of these several excursions (in some of which ample time was afforded me) did by no means answer my expectations; herbaceous plants being for the most part dead, and the few (hard woody) shrubs scarcely bearing fructification: disadvantages arising, in fact, from the extreme barrenness of the land, and more particularly from the prevalent droughts of the season, previous to the change of the monsoon, which soon afterwards took place, obliging us to quit the North-west Coast altogether; the remaining periods of the voyage being employed in the examination of certain parts of the North Coast. We again reached the North-west Coast, in the month of September of the following year, resuming the survey at its northern extremity, under the most flattering views, and with a favourable season for the prosecution of that primary object of the voyage.
Between the meridians of 125 and 129 degrees, on the parallel of 14 degrees, although a large proportion of the vegetation was for the most part destroyed by the long established droughts, the number of specimens of plants bearing fructification, gathered at Port Keats, Vansittart Bay, Port Warrender, and especially in Cambridge Gulf (where we spent ten days) was nevertheless considerable and highly interesting, belonging, however, almost wholly to established genera of which Grevillea and Acacia were the most striking.
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