PHTSICAS E NATURAES 175 



BIBLIOGRAPHIA 



1. The coílections of íhe Âfrlcan scíentiÊc expedition ordered by tlic 

 Porluguese Governmeot in I8SI and tlie righl of íhis Govern- 

 ment to them. as bronght before the english courts oí justice. 



The Portuguese Government was authorised by a law of its par- 

 liament dated 17 march 1851 to send a naturalist to the colonies, al- 

 lowing him Rs. 200)^000 monthly (about £ 44) together with a sum 

 for instruments and other objects necessary for this journey, amounting 

 to nearly £ 267 or Rs. 1:200)^000. On lhe 10.*^ of april 1852 Dr. Fr. 

 Welwitsch was appointed for this commission. The royal decree issued 

 thereon indicates the African provinces as the country to be explored, 

 and their natural products and resoiirces as the object of the investiga- 

 tion for the purpose of promoting their best industrial interests. To this 

 were added instructions from the Colonial Council dated 1 august 1853 

 which were ofQcially communicated to Dr. Welwitsch in order to regu- 

 late his commission. These instructions refer to the collection of plants 

 and other products, to their conveyance to Lisbon, to the communica- 

 tion and even immediate publication of the observations and notes ta- 

 ken during the journey, recommending particularly to his attention 

 every thing that might be interesting to the agricultural progress of the 

 African provinces. The coníidence placed in Dr. Welwitsch's well known 

 scientific capabilitie and his previous studies of the Portuguese Flora 

 (See Doe. 1, 2, 5 of the Pleadings and Proofs in London) dispensed 

 with furlher details in the instructions. 



After an excursion to London where Dr. Welwitsch thought pro- 

 per to seek personnally the advice of Robert Brown and other nalura- 

 lists as to the object of his mission, he set sail for Angola in August 

 1853, arriving at Loanda in October of that year. In this passage he 

 stopped at Madeira, S. Thiago de Gabo Verde, S. Thomé and Sierra Leone. 



