An introduction to the birds of Australia / [John Gould].

  • Gould, John, 1804-1881.
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introduction to the birds of Australia / [John Gould]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ■2 coasts ot Australia to further my views, by giving myself and inv assistant a passage to such part ot the coasts as either of us might be desirous of visiting, only stipulating that the ships under their com¬ mand should not be detained on any parts of the coasts thev were not ordered to visit. His late Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, in his capacity of President of the Royal Society, was pleased to favour me with a letter addressed to the authorities, civil and military, of Her Majesty’s Colonies, recommending me to their kind offices and protec¬ tion, as he felt assured that my exertions would materially promote the interests of Natural History. I was also under considerable obligations to the kindness of Captain Washington, R.N., at that time Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society, who furnished me with introductions to Captains Sir John Franklin and Sir Gordon Bremer, R.N., and other influential persons. Having thus acknowledged the facilities afforded me by the home authorities, it becomes my pleasing duty to state that their recommendations and wishes were responded to in the warmest manner by Captain Sir John Franklin, R.N., Governor of Van Die¬ men’s Land; Sir George Gipps, Governor-General of New South Wales; Lieut.-Colonel Gawler, Governor of South Australia; John Hutt, Esq., Governor of Western Australia; and Captain M‘Arthur, Commandant at Port Essington ; all of whom rendered me every assist¬ ance compatible with •■the instructions under which thev were acting. I should be wanting, however, both in courtesy and gratitude, did I not especially acknowledge the warm friendship, and the many acts of genuine kindness which I received at the hands of my valued friends Sir John and Lady Franklin, who, besides facilitating my views in every way, both publicly and privately, with the most generous hospi¬ tality received myself and family into their house, where Mrs. Gould and my eldest son, who had accompanied us, remained for nearly ten months, while I pursued my researches in various parts of Van Diemen’s Land and the continent of Australia; and it is only by those who, like myself, have had the advantage of residing with that amiable family, that the kindness of their nature and the goodness of their hearts can be duly appreciated, and which can never be erased from my memory. I must acknowledge not less gratefully the many acts of kind¬ ness rendered to me by Sir George and Lady Gipps during my stay in Sydney. After exploring Van Diemen’sLand, the islandsin Bass’s Straits, oouth Australia, and New South Wales, into the interior of which country I penetrated to the distance of nearly four hundred miles from the coast-line, i despatched my able assistant, Mr. Gilbert, to explore the western and northern portions of the country, and returned to England in August 1840; I immediately commenced the work de novo, and the lesulfc ol my labours is now before the public. It fortunately happened that at the commencement and during the progress of the work, Her Majesty s ships the Beagle, under the command of Captains Wickham and Stokes ; the Britomart, under Captain Stanley ; the Fly, undei Captain Blackwood, and the Pelorus, under Captain Chambers,were employed in surveying the northern and north- western coasts of Austra¬ lia; and the Erebus and Terror under Captain Sir James C. Ross, in a voyage of discovery towards the south pole. While engaged in the per¬ formance of their arduous duties the officers of those vessels succeeded in procuring many interesting novelties, which were with the greatest