Wanderings in New South Wales, Batavia, Pedir Co
George Bennett recounts a voyage on the ship "Brothers" under Captain Towns, beginning with sightings of Porto Santo and Madeira in May 1832, followed by a passage between Madeira and the Desertas islands, and a description of Funchal. Bennett studies the Physalia, or Portuguese man of war, detailing its structure, sting, and his own experiment testing its effects on himself, along with methods for preserving specimens. The ship reaches the Cape Verd islands, anchoring at Porto Praya on St. Jago, where Bennett describes the town, a severe drought and resulting famine, a native fishing method, and an excursion to the valley of St. Trinidad, including the monkey bread-tree (Adansonia digitata), local plantations, orchilla weed collection, and Don F. Melo's garden. Crossing the tropics, Bennett discusses flying fish, phosphorescence of the ocean (including specimens of Pyrosoma caught in a towing net), albicores, bonitos, a large whale, and the albatross and cape petrel, with extended remarks on albatross flight and physiology. The Brothers passes King's Island and enters Bass's Straits, anchoring at Sydney Cove on 25 August. In New South Wales, Bennett describes Sydney's growth since his 1829 visit, its fruits, gardens, streets, parrots, shops, and a visit to the theatre, along with critical remarks on the colony's penal-settlement status and treatment of convicts versus free emigrants. He details Sydney's flora (Banksia, Xanthorrhœa or grass tree, Acacias), visits the colonial museum and Alexander Macleay's garden at Elizabeth Bay, and describes New Zealand flax cultivation and manufacture by Mr. Maclaren. Bennett then travels inland, through Paramatta, Liverpool, and Raby farm (observing opossums and convict labor conditions), over the Blue Mountains via Mount Vittoria and Major Mitchell's new road, to Dabee, where he meets Aboriginal people and records details of the boomerang, native customs including infanticide and midwifery practices, and observes a koala (Cola). He continues through Goulburn Plains, Yas Plains, and to the Murrumbidgee river, describing native fish ("river cod," called "Mewuruk"), lobsters, snakes, leeches, limestone caves, and Aboriginal ceremonies involving a healing crystal. A separate chapter reports Dr. Mair's medical investigation into an eruptive disease resembling smallpox among Aboriginal tribes, including its symptoms, treatment, and vaccination outcomes. Bennett's narrative resumes with a second journey toward Yas Plains and the farm of Gudarigby, describing native lobsters, venomous snakes (black, brown, yellow, and death adder), and an excursion toward a mountain farm, arriving at a valley abounding in bird life including the laughing jackass.
By George Bennett · First published 1834 · Genre: Travel narrative, Natural history writing, Memoir · 21 chapters · 111,582 words
First lines
Island of Porto Santo-Madeira-The Desertas Islands-Town of Funchal-The Physalia, or Portuguese man of war-Description of that animal-An experiment-Effects of the Physalia's sting-Method of preserving the animal-Land in sight-Approach to the Cape Verd Islands-Islands of Mayo and St. Jago-Anchor at Porto Praya-The town-Famine-Novel method of Fishing-Tropical trees and other plants-Valley of St. Trinidad-The monkey bread-tree-Springs of water-Severe drought-Negro Huts-Plantations-The gigantic boabab-tree-Residence of Don F. Melo-The Orchilla weed-Date palms-Leave the island.
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Genres
- Travel narrative — The entire work is structured as a first-person account of a voyage from England to New South Wales, documenting the author's journey through multiple locations and coastal regions.
- Natural history writing — Extensive scientific observations and descriptions of fauna, flora, and marine life with specific binomial nomenclature, anatomical detail, and naturalistic analysis throughout the narrative.
- Memoir — First-person autobiographical account of the author's personal experiences, observations, and reflections during his voyage and travels.
- Scientific writing — Detailed technical descriptions employing scientific terminology, experimental methodology (such as the author's self-experiment with Physalia toxins), and systematic documentation of natural phenomena.
Tags
travel narrative · natural history · voyage account · 19th century · 1832 · Atlantic crossing · tropics · botany · zoology · marine biology · Portuguese man of war · flying fish
What this Textopian page supports
Wanderings in New South Wales, Batavia, Pedir Coast, Singapore, and China, Volume 1 is listed on Textopian as a historical account by George Bennett, dated 1834 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Historical account
- Author: George Bennett
- Date: 1834 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Travel narrative, Natural history writing, Memoir, Scientific writing, Colonial literature
- Length: 111,582 words
- Structure: 21 chapters, 762 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Wanderings in New South Wales, Batavia, Pedir Coast, Singapore, and China, Volume 1 by George Bennett
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Contents
- CHAPTER I
- CHAPTER II
- CHAPTER III
- CHAPTER IV
- CHAPTER V
- CHAPTER VI
- CHAPTER VII
- CHAPTER VIII
- CHAPTER IX
- CHAPTER X
- CHAPTER XI
- CHAPTER XII
- CHAPTER XIII
- CHAPTER XIV
- CHAPTER XV
- CHAPTER XVI
- CHAPTER XVII
- CHAPTER XVIII
- CHAPTER XIX
- CHAPTER XX
- CHAPTER XXI