92 HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM. 



year, rendered obvious the necessity of an anato- 

 mical laboratory, and that now existing was 

 constructed. 



In the same year 1804, the Museum was sud- 

 denly enriched by the most considerable acces- 

 sions in zoology and botany that it had ever 

 received. In the beginning of 1 800 , the Institute 

 proposed to the first consul to send two vessels 

 to Australasia, for the purpose of discovery in 

 geography and the natural sciences. The project 

 was embraced, and twenty three persons were 

 named by the Institute and the Museum to ac- 

 company the expedition. The two ships the Geo- 

 grapher and the Naturalist, the first commanded 

 by captain Baudin, and the second by captain Ha- 

 melin, sailed from Havre on the 19th of October 

 1800. They touched at the Isle of France, where 

 the greater part of the persons embarked with 

 scientific views remained ; reconnoitred the wes- 

 tern shore of New-Holland, and repaired to Ti- 

 mor, where they lay six weeks. They then re- 

 visited the same coast, made the circuit of Yan- 

 diemen's land, and steering northwards to Port 

 Jackson , lay by in that harbour for five months : 

 thence they resumed their course to Timor, by 

 Bass's straits, and returning to France entered 

 the port of Lorient the 25th of March 1804. 



Of the five zoologists who went out in this 



