The South Australian Naturalist. 



From Montrose Academy, Brown went for three years to 

 Marisclial College, Aberdeen, and in 1790 to Edinburgh Univer- 

 sity, with the intention of qualifying for a medical career. He 

 nev^er graduated, however, but at both seats of learning showed 

 an intense love for tlie study of Botany. At the age of 22 he 

 entered the army as an assistant surgeon, and was sent with 

 his regiment to Ireland. There his botanical papers brought 

 him under the notice of Sir Joseph Banks. This was a most 

 happy conjunction of the two stars in the British botanical 

 firmament, and was the main factor in deciding that Brown's 

 stibseqtient career should be devoted solely to the pursuit of 

 Botany. Banks was then at the summit of his fame: he was 

 the President of tlie Royal Societ}', a position he filled for over 

 forty years ; he vras wealthy, and, as a scientific adviser, had 

 tmbottnded influence with the British Government. Thirty years 

 previottsly he had accompanied Captain Cook in the ''Endeav- 

 our" on the memorable voyage that had restilted in the dis- 

 covery and subsequent colonisation of the east coast of Aus- 

 tralia. The centenary of Banks' death will occur on Jtuie 19 

 next, when we may well give a thought to the man who has 

 been styled "Tlie Father of Attstralia." 



In the year 1800 the Government had decided to complete 

 the coastal survey of New Holland, as the western part of 

 Australia was then called. At the instigation of Banks, the 

 Admiralty appointed Brown the naturalist on board the "In- 

 vestigator,"' which, under the command of Flinders, another 

 protege of Banks", had been fitted otit for the voyage. Brown's 

 .':alary was fixed at £400 per annttm. The full complement of 

 the ship was 88, and all the principal officers were young men. 

 Flinders was 27, Brown 28, Westall (the landscape painter) 20, 

 and John Franklin, after wards Sir John, of Arctic fame and 

 tragedy, was a midshipman of 14. 



The "Investigator"" left England in July, 1801, and by 

 December G was off Cape Leetiwin. On January 28, 1801, she 

 was in Fovrler's Bay, the farthest easterly point which Nuyts, 

 the Dtttch navigator, had reached in 1627, and the real work of 

 discovery began. On January 29, Brown landed at' Fowler's 

 Bay to make vrhat was in every probability the first field 

 nattiralist excursion in the territory of this State. On his 

 rettirn to the ship he expressed disappointment at the scanti- 

 ness of his specimens. Several other landings were made for 

 botanical purposes during subsequent days, and on February 

 24 the curving shores of Port Lincoln were revealed to the 

 mariners. Dtiring the seven days spent in that charming bay 

 Brovai had ample opportunity to study the flora. On March 10 



