to find the best country through which to take the herd; and, as the
Brothers Jardine themselves would probably much rather repeat their
journey than write a full account of it, it has devolved on the
Editor to attempt to put before the public a compilation of their
journals in such form as will give the narrative sufficient interest
to carry with it the attention of the reader to the end. Although
the matter is ample, this is no easy task for an unpracticed pen, for
to the general reader, the usual monotonous details and entries of an
explorer's notes, which alone give them value to the geographer,
cannot be hoped to excite interest or command attention. But the
journey was full of incident, and the Brothers, although not
scientific naturalists, were keen sportsmen, excelling in all
exercises requiring strength and activity, who had acquired from
their training in the bush that sharpening of the senses and faculty
of observing, the peculiar result of a life in the wilds, which not
only so well fitted them for the conduct of such an expedition, but
also enabled them to note and describe with accuracy the various
interesting objects in botany and zoology met with in the course of
their journey. It is therefore hoped that there will be sufficient
to interest each class of reader. Aided by Mr. Jardine, senior, a
gentleman of large experience in both Botany and Natural History, the
Editor has been enabled to supply the generic names of the birds and
plants met with; which, in many cases, if not altogether new, are
interesting as determining the range and habitat of the birds, and
the zones of vegetation and trees; but it is to be regretted that
there was no one in the party having sufficient knowledge of drawing
to figure such objects, or to delineate some of the more striking
scenes and incidents of the journey. As these can now only be
supplied from the graphic descriptions given by the actors in them,
the Editor, without drawing too much on his imagination, has, in the