9 
However, the fine plans we had made at the Cape of Good Hope, 
at the very commencement of our travels round the world, would 
hardly have been put into execution, had not the question concerning 
the exploration of New Zealand, by a singular concurrence of cir- 
cumstances, been solved for me otherwise than it had been originally 
proposed. In November 1858, about the time of the stay of our 
frigate in the harbour of Sydney, Sir William Denison , Governor- 
General of Australia, to whom the Novara Expedition is greatly 
indebted for a vigorous furtherance of its purpose, and for liberal 
contributions to its collections, had, shortly before our arrival on 
the coast of Australia, received a document from the New Zealand 
Government, requesting the services of a geologist to examine a 
newly discovered coal-field near Auckland. Sir William Denison, on 
becoming acquainted with Commodore Wullerstorf’s intention to visit 
the harbour of Auckland, requested him, that he would permit the 
geologist on board the Novara to examine those coal-fields more 
closely during the stay of the vessel in the harbour of Auckland, 
and to deliver reports thereon to the Governor of New Zealand. 
Commodore AY fill erst or! gladly embraced this opportunity, of rend- 
ering the Government of an English colony at least some service, 
however slight, in order to prove by it our unfeigned gratitude for 
the cordial welcome and the vigorous assistance we had received 
everywhere on English ground. 
Consequently, on my arrival in Auckland, I was commissioned 
by the commander of the expedition to undertake a close examina- 
tion of the coal-field in question, to give my opinion as to the 
quality of the coal and extent of the coal-fields, and also to point 
out the place best suited for working a mine. 
AYith pleasure I accepted this commission , and owing to 
the various excellent preparations, which the Government at 
Auckland had made for this purpose previous to our arrival, I 
was enabled within the short space* of time from December 24 ,h 
to January 2 d , to carry my researches so far as to arrive at 
definite results, which 1 presented in a special report “On the 
coal-field in the Drury and Hunua Districts in the province of 
