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APPENDIX. 
[B. 
his investigation, in order to form and prepare such col- 
lections of their vegetation, for the use of His Majesty’s 
gardens at Kew, as circumstances, and the particular season 
of the year proper for visiting those shores, might afford 
me. My very limited knowledge of the plants of that con- 
tinent, especially of genera, that form a striking feature in 
its Flora, was moreover essentially improved during our stay 
at King George’s Sound on the South-west Coast, previous 
to our arrival upon the North-west Coast, at the commence- 
ment of the first voyage of His Majesty’s cutter the Mermaid. 
Although the reader may inform himself, from Captain 
King’s relation of the several voyages, of the opportunities 
that were afforded me in forming my collections of plants, 
still it appears necessary, in this place, to take a general 
retrospective view of those parts of the coasts under ex- 
amination, whereon my researches were made, adverting, at 
the same time, to the prevalent unfavourable 'seasons for 
flowering plants, during which it should seem the survey of 
the North-west Coast could alone be effected with safety. 
During the progress of the survey of the southern ex- 
treme of the North-west Coast, (at which part Captain King 
commenced his examinations, in 1818,) I landed in Ex- 
mouth Gulf, then upon one of the islands of Dampier’s 
Archipelago, at the Intercourse Islands, and on Mains 
Island ; but the results of these several excursions (in some 
of which ample time was afforded me) did by no means an- 
swer my expectations ; herbaceous plants being for the 
most part dead, and the few (hard woody) shrubs scarcely 
bearing fructification : disadvantages arising, in fact, from the 
extreme barrenness of the land, and more particularly from 
the prevalent droughts of the season, previous to the change 
of the monsoon, which soon afterwards took place, obliging 
