BOTANY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE “ENDEAVOUR" 
43 
Hooker* speaks of plants in Brown’s care, “ during half a centurj-,” f . . . • 
they, together with the rest of his magnificent collections were jealously closed 
to botanists.” This is a very serious charge. 
The reason why Bentham did not consult the British ^Museum herbarium for 
the Flora Australiensis (the fact has been pointed out by you)j; was probably the 
result of Broum’s attitude in years gone by. 
I believe I am justified in saying that the “ Prodromus” (continuation MSS.) 
are “ priceless historical documents.” Brown was paid by the State to collect 
the material, and to wTite an account of the collections, and it seems most regret- 
table that these MSS. cannot be given to the world. 
I am much obliged to you for the list of certain Australian botanical MSS. in 
the Museum. Valuable as they are, they are still non- Brownian. 
There is a book in our Mitchell Library in Caley’s handwriting descriptive of 
his journeys ; probably the British JIuseum volume supplements this. We have 
also a copy of Allan Cunningham’s Journal for 1817-1821 in the Public Library 
here. It was presented by Kew. We have many other MSS. of Banks, Caley, 
and Cunningham in the Mitchell Library, anrl I hope they will all be collated 
with tho.se in the British Museum some day. In addition, the New South Wales 
(government had many Banksian and other papers copied in London by the late 
James Bonwick. 
I shall gratefully bear in mind your offer to give facilities for the transcription 
of some of the MSS. to which you refer. 
Botanic Gardens, Sydney. J. H. Maiden. 
This correspondence of course goes a little beyond the “ Botany of 
the Voyage of the ' Endeavour,’ ” with which I have headed this 
section. 
(See Robert Brown, p. lOO.) 
' leones pi. Vol. iv (3rd series), |i. 16. 
t Presumably 1810-1858 (year of Brown's death). 
: I am given to understand that I am wrong here. Bentham consulted the herbarium, or at 
least part of it, but not the Bank-sian plates (? the Solander MSS.). " Some of the orders in 
Brown's herbarium, which Bentham wanted to consult for the .Australian flora, were mislaid 
and could not be found." (1873. Daydon Jackson's “ Life of Bentham,” p. 226.) See also 
p 61 {iiifin). 
