to that question. Wilkes saw the primary objective of the 

 United States Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842 as being 

 the "promotion of the great interest of commerce and 

 navigation ." 3 Others, in more precise terms, argue that the 

 "whaling industry, then in its heyday, appears to have sup- 

 plied the principal motive" for the Expedition. 4 It was hoped 

 that the Wilkes voyage would provide more detailed infor- 

 mation regarding remote and poorly charted regions and al- 

 low the United States an opportunity to compete with the 

 great nations of Europe in geographic exploration. 



Every opportunity was also taken by the Expedition, 

 when it was "not incompatible with the great purpose of 

 the undertaking, to extend the bounds of science and to pro- 

 mote the acquisition of knowledge." 5 The collection of plant 

 material was neither the prime objective of the Wilkes 

 Expedition nor its principal accomplishment, but the botanic 

 specimens it acquired were extremely significant and ulti- 

 mately formed the nucleus of the collection housed in the 

 Botanic Garden's first conservatory. 6 



3 Charles Wilkes, Synopsis of the Cruise of the U.S. Exploring Expedi- 

 tion During the Years 1838, '39, '40, '41, & '42, Washington: Peter Force, 

 1842, p. 6. 



4 Bryan, The Wilkes Expedition, p. 1452. See also G. S. Bryan, The Pur- 

 pose, Equipment and Personnel of the Wilkes Expedition, Proceedings 

 of the American Philosophical Society, v. 28, June 29, 1940, 

 pp. 551-552; and Morsberger, The Wilkes Expedition, p. 8. 



5 Wilkes, Synopsis of the Cruise, p. 6. See also Harley Harris Bartlett, 

 The Reports of the Wilkes Expedition and the Work of Specialists in 

 Science, Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, v. 82, June 

 29, 1940, pp. 601-705; and Edwin G. Conklin, Connection of the Ameri- 

 can Philosophical Society with Our First National Exploring Expedition, 

 Ibid., p. 519-541; and Louis N. Feipel, The Wilkes Expedition: Its Progress 

 Through Half a Century: 1826-1876, United States Naval Institute 

 Proceedings, v. 40, September-October 1914, pp. 1323-1350. 



6 John Hendley Barnhart, Brackenridge and His Book on Ferns, Jour- 

 nal of the New York Botanical Garden, v. 20, June 1919, pp. 117-124. It 

 is interesting to note that Charles Wilkes became a member of the Colum- 

 bian Institute in 1833, five years before the Expedition set sail. The Insti- 

 tute was asked by Secretary of the Navy Samuel Southard to offer 

 suggestions or views as to the scientists that should be sent, instruments 

 needed, subjects of scientific inquiry, and the like. And a committee of 

 the Institute, appointed to investigate these subjects, reported their 

 findings to Secretary Southard. 



