at were among the only things
obtained, excepting the extensive and valuable collection of plants
formed by Mr. Cunningham which are now in the possession of Mr. Aiton, of
the Royal Gardens at Kew; for which establishment it would seem that they
were solely procured. It was in fact the only department of natural
history in which any pains were taken and for which every assistance was
rendered. A small herbarium was however collected by me, containing
nearly five hundred species: they are in the possession of my respected
friend Aylmer B. Lambert, Esquire, whose scientific attainments in the
field of botany are well and widely known. It is to be hoped however that
the few subjects offered to the scientific world in the appendix, through
the kindness of my friends, will not be thought uninteresting or
unimportant; and that they will serve to show how very desirable it is to
increase the comparatively slender knowledge that we possess of this
extensive country, which in this respect might still with propriety
retain its ancient name of Terra Australis INCOGNITA.

Whilst this sheet was going through the press accounts were received at
the Admiralty from Captain J.G. Bremer, C.B. of H.M. Ship Tamar who was
despatched by the government in the early part of last year (1824) to
take possession of Arnhem's Land, upon the north coast of the continent,
and to form an establishment upon the most eligible spot that could be
found for a mercantile depot. Of the proceedings of this expedition the
following particulars have been communicated to me by Lieutenant J.S.
Roe, my former companion and assistant, who was appointed lieutenant of
the Tamar upon her being destined for that service; and which, as the
sequel of the voyage I have been describing, cannot be deemed irrelevant
or uninteresting, since the place fixed upon by Captain Bremer was
discovered during the early part of the said voyage.*

(*Footnote. See volume 1.)

The Tamar arrived at Port Jackson on the 28th of July, 1824; when every
facility was rendered by the colonial government to further the object in
view. The expedition sailed thence in less than a month with a detachment
of the 3rd regiment and forty-five convicts, in addition to the party of
Royal Marines that had been embarked before the Tamar left England. The
establishment was placed under the command of Captain Barlow of the 3rd
regiment. A merchant ship, the Countess of Harcourt, was taken up to
convey the s