1861.] DEATH OF DE. ANDREW SINCLAIR. 285 



Dr. Andrew Sinclair, whose untimely end we have thus recorded, has left 

 a name and a character behind him to which we regret that we must fail to 

 do justice. He was a surgeon in the Royal Navy, and had served with 

 credit afloat, visiting ahuost eveiy corner of the world in the course of his 

 duty. His experience and his scientific attainments, especially as a botanist, 

 brought him into communication with many leading men in the world of 

 science at home, with several of whom he formed a lasting friendship. 

 After leaving the regidar service, his professional abilities secured him em- 

 ployment on several occasions as Surgeon- Superintendent of ships bringing 

 convicts to the Australian colonies, in the performance of which most diffi- 

 cult duty he was eminently successful, and most so in the most tiying of 

 all, the charge of female convicts. In 1843 he came down to New Zealand 

 on a botanizing tour, the second which he made to this country, and hap- 

 j^ened to be a fellow-traveller with Captain Fitzroy, then coming to 

 Auckland to assume the duties of Governor of the colony. He landed at 

 Auckland on the 23rd of December in that year, at a time when local 

 party spirit ran high, and a difficult task was set before the new Governor 

 to steer with safety between the contending political factions. It hap- 

 pened that, on the resignation of Mr. Willoughby Shortland, the task of 

 appointing a Colonial Secretary devolved upon the Governor; and he, 

 believing it to be utterly futile to name one of the local leaders of party, 

 offered the appointment to Dr. Sinclair, who long refused it, though 

 repeatedly pressed upon him. Alleging a consciousness of want of quali- 

 fication for the post, he for some time resisted the Governor's entreaties, 

 and at last only accepted office to relieve the Government of the Colony 

 from embarrassment. As an official Dr. Shiclair worked hard and attended 

 regularly to his duties ; and though he has not left the reputation of ability 

 as a secretary, there is no doubt that he rendered as valuable service as 

 the system of government, which left the Governor all-powerful, and his 

 highest subordinates but clerks, permitted any official to render. He held 

 his office until the introduction of responsible government, within these 

 last five years, released him, Avith a pension, from serving the colony in one 

 way to benefit it in another way no less important. 



Dr. Sinclair was the first collector of specimens of New Zealand natural 

 history, in botany, conchology, and entomology. He sent home such a 

 variety of plants, shells, and insects, as to induce Dr. Gray, of the British 

 Museum, to commence the first scientifically aiTanged catalogue, which 

 may be found appended to Dieft'enbach's work on New Zealand. He was 

 of late years again closely occupied by his botanical researches, and spent 

 a large portion of his time in the investigation of the natural productions 

 of this country. It was in the prosecution of his favourite pursuit that he 

 fell a victim to the perils which beset the explorers of nature among our 

 inhospitable Southern Alps. But the passion for science by no means 

 closed the heart of Dr. Sinclair to human sympathies. If he eanied a 

 reputation at a distance as a natural historian, he was better known in his 

 immediate neighbourhood as a true j)hilanthropist. In 1843, 1844, and 

 1845, the population of Auckland underwent severe privations and dis- 

 tress, such as the settlers of this part of the colony have never known. 

 Many an industrious and honest man received then at Dr. Sinclair's hands 

 that assistance which he wanted to tide him over the crisis ; and not a few 



