^8 Voyage of the Novara. 



country, otherwise lie is likely to pass this little elevation, 

 only a few paces from the road, little dreaming of the 

 magnificent landscape which he is missing. 



As soon as we got to the coast we once more encountered 

 fan-palms, tree-ferns, and other representatives of tropical 

 vegetation, the last few hours of our road towards the little 

 port lying through scenes of Eden-like loveliness. About 

 3 P.M. of the 18th November we reached Wulongong. 



We again fell in here with Sir William Macarthur, who 

 had undertaken a very arduous ride through the forests 

 around Wulongong for the purpose of collecting some tree- 

 ferns, which he intended sending to England. Few nations 

 have such a thorough appreciation of nature as the English, 

 or exert themselves so unselfishly, by personal observation 

 and indefatigable energy, to enlarge the acquaintance of 

 mankind with natural history in all its different ramifica- 

 tions. Men in every grade of life take a pleasure in hunt- 

 ing out rare species of plants, animals, or minerals, in the 

 remotest districts of the globe, which they transmit to their 

 own country, or publish such observations respecting them 

 as may make them available for science, handicraft-industry, 

 or commerce. By these incidental voluntary contributions 

 to the general stock, England now possesses scientific collec- 

 tions such as hardly any nation can hope to keep up short 

 of an enormous expense. These endeavours, it is true, 

 are considerably favoured and supported by the fact of 

 British colonies being scattered over the entire earth, but 



