120 WHITE— A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White. 



ceeding inside the Barrier Reef, and touching, if time should 

 permit, at several islands and places where rare birds are to 

 be procured, but his chief hunting ground will be the Charles 

 Irwin Mountains, Aru Islands, etc. He estimates that he will 

 have to return to Sydney for stores in about twelve months, 

 and that in two years he will gather the largest and most 

 valuable collection of specimens ever made in the Southern 

 seas. He has plenty of small arms, two brass four-pounder 

 guns, one on each quarter, mounted on swivels, and a long two- 

 pounder, which will be mounted in mid-ship, and a ton of 

 shot on board, and will employ about eight guns in the moun- 

 tains, where he expects to fall in with the rarest and choicest 

 kinds, including birds of paradise. He will collect duplicates 

 for purpose of exchange, and on the return to Adelaide, which 

 may not be for four, or even five, years hence, contemplates 

 adding new wings to his residence at the Reedbeds for the 

 safe keeping of his specimens. Mr. White has furnished some 

 interesting particulars of his craft: — 'She is a fore and aft 

 schooner of about 80 tons; shipwright's measurements: — 

 length over all, 65 feet; breadth, 16 feet; with 9 feet 6 inches 

 depth of hold; the keel is of jarrah in one piece; the planking 

 inside and out is of red gum. . . . The seas to traverse will 

 be difficult and dangerous to navigate, hence the unusual 

 strength of the craft. The scantling is quite heavy enough 

 for a 500-ton ship, and you will perceive I have done away with 

 the usual mode of fastening with trenails, and used copper 

 instead, which is stronger and more durable. There are over 

 two tons of pure copper and nearly the same of yellow metal 

 distributed about the hull. ... Be her sailing qualities, 

 what they may, I must take the responsibility upon myself, 

 as I consulted my own ideas as to my requirements, and 

 modelled and drafted the work myself. The hull was com- 

 pleted and launched on the 14th of February, and named the 

 Elsea, after my wife, who accompanies me as far as Sydney, 

 and to whom I am greatly indebted for much valuable assis- 

 tance in preparing for my voyage.' 



"The Elsea sailed from Port Adelaide on Sunday last, and 

 has since been lying off Henley Beach, taking in baggage, etc. 

 Mr. White intends sailing this evening, or by daylight on 

 Thursday, and we can only wish him and his family bon voyage. 

 We need add nothing more than good wishes for health and 

 success of an enthusiastic scientist, who assures us seriously 

 that all the hardships of a disastrous trip and six months' ill- 

 ness with fever were compensated for by the discovery of a 

 new species of butterfly. 



