133 
His first journey lie advertised as Alpine plants from Salzburg and the Tyrol 
(Austria) and Upper Italy; he commenced the journey in 1811. lie returned to 
Prague in 1812 with enormous collections, and remained at home till 1816, chiefly 
working on his collections and publications, hut also studying medicine. He did not 
get his doctor’s degree in medicine, though he is sometimes erroneously called Dr. 
Sieber by some authors. 
In 1816 he started on his second journey to the Orient, Crete and other 
islands of the Greek Archipelago, Egypt and Palestine; a gardener named Kohant 
was his companion for the whole trip. He returned to Prague from this extensive 
journey in April, 1819. Then followed a period of working up his collections and 
publishing his travels, lectures, &c., also of applications to Governments for 
assistance for his travels, and the sale of a cure for hydrophobia which he claimed 
to have discovered in Egypt. Many of his collections (he is said to have brought 
home ninety boxes) Avere confiscated for debt and some Avere afterwards released. 
In August, 1822, lie commenced his third and, last journey round the world, 
the journey that brought him to Australia. From Marseilles he went to Mauritius 
and from thence to Australia and arrived in Sydney on the 1st June, 1823. He left 
Sydney in December of the same year, so that he only remained seven months in 
Australia. 
From Australia he went to the Cape of Good Hope, A\ r here lie met Zeylier 
again, who had collected for him previously. He arrived at the Cape in April, 1824, 
and left again in May, proceeding to Europe. Thus Sieber spent tivelve years of his 
life travelling and collecting. 
After his return he became more and more eccentric and Avas constantly 
worried by money difficulties. He claimed that he Avould reform all branches of 
science, and demanded the assistance of the Government. He desired to sell his cure 
for hydrophobia ; he wrote a drama in five acts, which he said surpassed the best that 
Shakespeare had ever written, and offered it to the world for 3,000 gold pieces; he 
planned to irrigate the deserts of North Africa, and so on. In 1S27 he first entered 
the lunatic asylum of Prague for a short time, and in 1830 he was confined to the 
asylum for good, and died in it fourteen years later, in the year 1844. 
Dietrich gives no details of Sieber’s journeys in Australia ; he writes only 
that Sieber landed at Sydney and commenced at once to botanise, in spite of the 
winter season, and he continues : “ With the beginning of the better season he 
extended his excursions to the Blue Mountains, a region little A r isited by botanists at 
that time.” 
Dietrich makes no further mention of Sicber’s travels or doings in Australia; 
what he knew on this subject was taken from Sieher’s letters and publications. It 
seems to me very likely that Sieber may have visited other places Avithout Dietrich 
knowing it or mentioning it. I believe he Avent south to Argyle County, on the 
track to modern Goulburn, but how far Ave cannot precisely say. 
He confined bis collecting to New South Wales, 
