Natural History, yet Botany appeared to be their chief object, of which
the Banksian Herbarium yields ample proof.

Among the collectors of Natural History, in the neighbourhood of the
colony, since the year 1787, may be recorded the names of White,
Paterson, Collins, Brown, Caley, Lewin, Humphreys, and Jamison; and in
this interval the coasts have been visited by two English and two French
expeditions of discovery; namely, those commanded by Admiral
D'Entrecasteaux, Captains Vancouver and Flinders, and Commodore Baudin.
The first merely touched upon the south coast at the Recherche's
Archipelago, and on the south shores of Van Diemen's Land; and the second
only at King George the Third's Sound, near the South-west Cape; but
these opportunities were sufficient to celebrate the names of
Labillardiere and Menzies as Australian Botanists, notwithstanding they
have been since eclipsed by the more extensive discoveries of Mr. Brown,
whose collections of Natural History upon the voyage of Captain Flinders,
and his pre-eminent qualifications, have justly raised him to the
pinnacle of botanical science upon which he is so firmly and deservedly
elevated.

Peron and Lesueur, in Baudin's voyage, extended their inquiries chiefly
among the branches of zoological research; but in that expedition each
department of Natural History had its separate collector, and the names
of Leschenault de la Tour, Riedle, Depuch, and Bailly, will not be
forgotten. Unfortunately, the Natural History of this voyage has never
yet been given to the world, the death of M. Peron having put a stop to
its publication; a few of the subjects, however, have been taken up by
MM. Lacepede and Cuvier, and other French naturalists, in the form of
monographs, in their various scientific journals; but the greater part is
yet untouched, probably from the want of the valuable information which
died with its collector. M. Peron, in his historical account of that
expedition, notices a few subjects of zoology that were collected by him,
but in so vague a manner, that it is with very great doubt that the
specimens which we procured, and suspect to be his discoveries, can be
compared with his descriptions.

Of the Natural History collections of Captain Flinders and Mr. Brown, no
account has been published, excepting the valuable botanical works of the
latter gentleman.

With respect to the collection which has been formed upon this
expedition, it is to be regretted tha