BOTANICAL DISCOVERY. xxi 
containing much valuable information, it bears evident marks of hasty 
preparation, and can hardly be considered an adequate memorial of 
its enthusiastic and talented author. The herbarium of both the 
Cunninghams is now preserved at Kew. 
Mr. J. C. Bidwill visited New Zealand for the first time in 1839, 
and after a short stay at the Bay of Islands proceeded to the Bay of 
Plenty, from whence he journeyed to Rotorua and Taupo. Crossing 
Lake Taupo he reached Lake Rotoaira; and, using the Native village 
there as a base of operations, succeeded in exploring the spurs of 
Tongariro and in ascending the cone of Ngauruhoe, being the first 
European to accomplish the feat. He returned by way of Rotorua, 
Tauranga, and the Thames Valley. His collections, which were for- 
warded to Sir W. J. Hooker, were the first made in the mountainous 
interior of the North Island, and contained several interesting dis- 
coveries, as Veronica tetragona, Dacrydium laxifolium, Senecio Bid- 
will, Dracophyllum recurvum, &c. A few years later he visited the 
mountains of Nelson, forming a very interesting collection of mountain- 
plants, which were also forwarded to Sir W. J. Hooker. 
In the years 1839-40-41, Dr. Ernest Dieffenbach made extensive 
travels in New Zealand as naturalist to the New Zealand Company. 
In addition to an examination of the whole of the northern peninsula, 
from the North Cape to Auckland, he travelled along the western 
coast to Raglan and Kawhia, and, crossing to the Waipa Valley, followed 
the western bank of the Waikato River to Lake Taupo. A project to 
ascend Tongariro and Ruapehu was frustrated by the opposition of 
the Maoris, and he returned to Auckland by way of Rotorua, Tauranga, 
and the Thames Valley. During another journey he explored a large 
part of the Taranaki District, and was the first European to ascend 
Mount Egmont. He also visited Wellington, Wanganui, and Kapiti 
Island, and spent some time in the exploration of Queen Charlotte 
Seund, Cloudy Bay, and the whaling-stations on the north-east coast 
of the South Island. Finally, he paid a visit to the Chatham Islands, 
and brought away the first plants collected in that outlying dependency 
of the colony. On his return to England Dieffenbach published his 
“Travels in New Zealand,” the two volumes of which are replete 
with interesting matter relating to the flora, fauna, and Native 
inhabitants. His botanical collections were presented to the Kew 
Herbarium, but, according to Sir J. D. Hooker, they are “ most 
scanty, compared with the great extent of imteresting ground he 
passed over.” 
In July, 1840, the French corvette “ L’Aube” arrived at the Bay 
of Islands, and after a brief stay proceeded to Akaroa, remaining there 
until November, 1841. In January, 1842, “ L’Aube” was replaced 
by “ L’Alher,” which was stationed at Akaroa until January, 1843. 
The surgeon attached to these two vessels, M. E. Raoul, made excellent 
collections, mainly at Akaroa, and, as he was the first botanist to 
