12t) KEC0KD8 OF IHE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Society of London, nnd had there worked under Gould. After 

 Gould determined to visit Australia to procure material for 

 his new work, he appointed Gilbert his assistant, who made 

 Aaluable field notes and large collections of bird skins, principally 

 in the Northern and Western portions of the continent. Gilbert 

 returned to Eniiland in 1841 and revisited Australia in the 

 following year, procuring more information and specimens in 

 •South-western Australia. He continued the good work in 1844 

 and 1840, while accompanying Dr. Leichardtand his party on their 

 overland expedition from ^Moreton Bay towards Port Essington, 

 and where, during the journey, he treacherously met his death at 

 the hands of the natives. The following account of the tragic 

 occurrence was sent to Gould by Mr. John Roper, one of the 

 members of the expedition, after his return to Sydney, and was 

 published in the "Proceedings of the Zoological Society" in 1846.'* 

 As tlie early volumes of the Society's Proceedings are accessible 

 to only a comparati\ely few students of Austi'alian ornithology 

 it is here fulh' transcirbed. 



"Sydney, 12th May, 1846. 



Dear Sir, — As I was one of the party that journeyed from 

 Sydney to Port Essington, and not knowing whether you had been 

 made acquainted with the full particulars of poor Gilbert's death, 

 by Dr. Leichardt or any of the party, thinking the details of his 

 melancholy fate would be read with interest, T shall offer no 

 ap(jlogy for addressing this to you. 



As Mr. Gilbert's log, which has been sent home to you, fully 

 narrates all particulars up to the eventful 28th of -June [184")], I 

 shall offer no remarks of my own. At the most northerl}' point 

 we reached on the east side of the Gulf of Carpentaria, in Lat. 

 15° 57', and about fifty miles fiom the coast, we encamped for 

 the night at a small shallow lagoon suirounded by low tea-trees, 

 the countr}' arouiul beautifully open. Having partaken of our 

 usual meal of dried meat al)out 3 p.m., Gilbert, taking his gun, 

 sallied forth in search of something new — he procured a Climac- 

 teris and a Finch, which he skinned before dinner ; our scanty 

 meal was soon despatched : poor Gilbert was busily employed 

 plaiting the cabbage tree, intending to make a new hat, which, 

 alas ! he never lived to finish. The shades of evening closed 

 around, and after chatting for a short time we returned to our 

 separate tents — Gilbert and Murphy to theirs, Mr. Calvert and 

 mvself to oui's, and Phillips to his ; the Doctor and our two black- 



' «..]).•!• Pro. Zool. Soi'.. 184(). i)p. 70-80. 



