Botanical Discovery.] ■ INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. CUI 
Gardens. Of these a few were published by Lesson and A. Richard, in 1832, in an octavo volume 
of letterpress, and folio of plates. 
Captain D'Urville again visited Australia, Sydney, and also Tasmania, when on his memorable 
voyage to the Antarctic regions in 1839, when collections were made by MM. Hombroo and .laeqm- 
not, the medical officers of the Expedition, at Sydney, Port Essington, Baffles Bay, etc., but very 
few of them have been published. 
The United States Exploring Expedition, under Commodore Wilkes, visited Tasmania and Sydney 
in 1839, and large collections were made, near Port Jackson, etc. These have been in part published 
by Professor Asa Gray, of Harvard University, Cambridge, in his excellent < Botany of the United 
States Exploring Expedition/ of which one quarto volume of letterpress and one folio volume of plates 
alone have hitherto appeared. 
The Austrian exploring-frigate 'Novara' has returned to Europe during the passage of these 
sheets through the press, and has no doubt brought valuable collections, but I am not aware of their 
nature or extent. 
The first Colonial Kxpeditions that added, mum to our knowledge ol the botany ot Australia were 
those of Lieutenant Oxley, Surveyor-General of New Smith Wales, across the Blue Mountain*. .Mr. 
Oxlev started on his first expedition, in 1*17, to ascertain the course of the Laeldan, and was accom- 
panied by Allan Cuunin-ham, as King's liotanist, and Mr. Fraser, as Colonial Botanist. Early in 
1818, Mr. Oxley, with Mr. Eraser, again left Sydney, to examine the course of the Macquarie. On 
both these occasions large collections were made, and the journal of the Expedition was published by 
Lieutenant Oxley in one quarto volume (London, 1820). 
The land expeditions of Allan Cunningham, in 1826 and 1827, are the next in date; they have 
been already noticed (at p. cxiv.). Captain Sturt's Expedition was despatched to follow up Cunning- 
ham's and Oxlcy's discoveries. 
Captain Charles Sturt, an officer of his Majesty's 39th Regiment, then on military duty in 
New South Wales, was commissioned by the Colonial Government to ascertain the course of the 
watershed of the Blue Mountains. He accordingly left Sydney in 
Valley, tuen the most remote north-western settlement, and pro- 
ceeded down the Macquarie to the Darling lliver, whence he returned to Sydney. In 1829 another 
Expedition was fitted out, under Captain Sturt, and despatched to the Murrumbidgee River, when 
the Murray was discovered, and named, and followed to its debouchc in Lake Alexandria, and thus 
into the sea, from whence the Expedition returned i.\ 1 here are no botanical 
observations in the narrative of these remarkable and nor is there any notice 
of collections having been made. 
In 1844, Captain Sturt started from Adelaide on another and still more remarkable journey i 
when, advancing north into the heart of Australia, he reached the 25th parallel of 
longitude 139 E. On this occasion a considerable collection was made, amounting to about 100 
species, some of which were described by Brown in the appendix to Captain Sturt's narrative of 
the Expedition. 
Captain (now Sir George) Grey's Expeditions on the i 
the hope of discovering a large river or inlet which 
i another and still more rei 
he reached the 25th paral 
Election was made, amount 
the appendix to Captain St 
the west coast 
was supposed 
; of Australia 
to exist in ti 
