THE FIRST FLUTTERINGS OF THE WING. 93 
trious travellers, ardent lovers of nature, often without means, often 
without assistance, have followed it into the deserts, watched and 
surprised it in its mysterious retreats, voluntarily enduring thirst and 
hunger and incredible fatigues; never complaining, thinking them- 
selves too well recompensed, full of devotion, of gratitude at each 
fresh discovery; regretting nothing in such an event, not even the 
death of La Perouse* or Mungo Park, + death by shipwreck, or death 
among the savages. 
Bid them live again here in our midst! If their lonely life flowed 
free from Europe for Europe’s benefit, let their images be placed in 
the centre of the grateful crowd, with a brief exposition of their for- 
* The unfortunate navigator. Jean Francois de Calaup, Comte de La Perouse, was horn 
in 1741. Atanearly age he entered the French navy, rose toa high grade, and distin- 
guished himself by his services against the English in North America. In 1783 he was 
appointed to command an expedition of discovery, and on the 1st of August 1785, sailed 
from Brest with two frigates, the Boussole and the Astrolabe. He reached Botany Bay in 
January 1788, and thenceforward was no more heard of for years. Several vessels were 
despatched to ascertain his fate, but could obtain uo clue to it. In 1826, however, Captain 
Dillon, while sailing amongst the Queen Charlotte Islands, discovered at Wanicoro the re- 
mains of the shipwrecked vessels. A mausoleum and obelisk to the memory of their un- 
fortunate commander was erected on the island in 1828.—Translator. 
t Mungo Park, the illustrious African traveller (born near Selkirk in 1771), perished on 
his second expedition to the Niger towards the close of the year 1805. No exact informa- 
tion of his fate has been obtained, but from the evidence collected by Clapperton and 
Lander, it seems probable that he was drowned in attempting to navigate a narrow channel 
of the river in the territory of Houssa. Another account, however, represents him to have 
been murdered by the natives.— 7rans/lator. 
