70 
SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 
Following are some extracts from an appreciation of Ferdinand 
Bauer^ by Dr. John Lhotsky : — 
Although considerable delay took place ere Flinders’ voyage was published, 
still its intrinsic and geographical value was duly appreciated. Bauer bore his 
full share in contributing to the production of this work, and I incline to think 
that he assisted Mr. Westall in executing the landscapes, for I know of no book, 
(the “ Vues des Cordilleres ” even not excepted) where plants and groups of foreign 
trees — Seaforthia, Xanthorrhma, a,nd Casuarina — are pourtrayed with such surpassing 
beauty and truth. In the Appendix, the description of ten species of plants are 
from Mr. Brown; these had been selected out of “the invaluable collection of 
drawings made by Bauer.” It is easy to perceive, by a glance at these plates, 
that they were never executed at Home, and from dried specimens. Figures of 
Flindersia australis, Eiidesmia tetragona, and Franldandia jucifolia, are acknow- 
ledged by botanists to surpass everything of the same kind. 
In the year 1813, Bauer began his “Illustrationes Florae Novae Hollandiae”* — a 
work which did not meet with the encouragement it deserved. The cause of 
failure lay wholly with the author himself; but the error which he committed 
was of the most honourable kind ; for it may be truly said that this publication 
outstripped, by at least a score of years, the capacities and attainments of the 
time at which it appeared. There is something very naive in the remark made 
on the subject in a letter written by Bauer’s brother. He says : “ Ferdinand could 
not find people capable either of engraving or colouring the plates properly, and 
he was consequently obliged to execute every part of the work with his own hands, 
thus occupying far too much time. Very few, indeed, coloured copies has he been 
able to prepare and sell.” Thus a botanical book which would have been 
appreciated and supported in the year 1834, or even during the magnificent and 
art-encouraging reign of Napoleon in France, fell to the ^ound in 1814. It 
appears, from documents in my possession, that Ferdinand was excessively and 
unduly disheartened by this failirre; so much so, that, fearing he should never 
be able to do anything else, he gathered up his papers, and closing, as it were, 
his accounts and transactions^with the literary and scientific world. . . . 
And here I shall conclude my notice of the part wliich Ferdinand Bauer bore 
in the expedition of the “ Investigator,” and proceed to that period when Fhnders 
published the “ Narrative ” of his voyage. The high opinion which the Commander 
entertained of the subject of our memoir appears from many passages of his 
work. In several instances, where Brown was otherwise engaged, Bauer went 
to investigate portions of the coast, and in different cases, Captain Fhnders speaks 
of them conjointly, as “ Botanists ” : a juxtaposition than which nothing can 
be more flattering to Bauer. On the 5th of February', 1802, tn honour was 
conferretl upon him that promises to perpetuate his memory. To the south-east 
of Franklin’s Island, at the distance of 11 miles, there is a low projection of the 
mainland, to which the name Point Brown was given, in compliment to the 
naturalist; and 4 leagues farther, in the same line, a cliffy' head received the 
appellation of Cape Bauer, after the painter of natural history'.! 
Francis Bauer, F.R.S., F.L.8. (1758-1840). 
Botanic painter. Born at Feldsberg, in Austria; the elder brother of 
Ferdinand Bauer, also a botanic painter. Came to England in 1788, and was, 
by the liberality of Sir Joseph Banks and with the King’s sanction, attached 
as draughtsman to the Botanic Gardens at Kew, where he remained till his 
• Bauer, Ferdinand. Illustrationes florae Novae Hollandiae sive icones generum quae in 
" Prodroino Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen descripsit, R. Brown. Londini.” 
1813. Fol. 
t " Biographical sketch of Ferdinand Bauer, natural history painter to the expedition of 
Captain Flinders, R.N., to Terra Australis.” (Hooker’s Land. Journ. ot Bot., ii, 106 (1843). 
