Reprint of the original, first published in 1866.

Explorer-naturalists Robert Brown and Mungo Park played a pivotal role in the development of natural history and exploration in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This work is a fresh examination of the lives and careers of Brown and Park and their impact on natural history and exploration. Brown and Park were part of a group of intrepid naturalists who brought back some of the flora and fauna they encountered, drawings of what they observed, and most importantly, their ideas. The educated public back home was able to gain an understanding of the diversity in nature. This eventually led to the development of new ways of regarding the natural world and the eventual development of a coherent theory of organic evolution. This book considers these naturalists, Brown, Park, and their contemporaries, from the perspective of the Scottish Enlightenment. Brown’s investigations in natural history created a fertile environment for breakthroughs in taxonomy, cytology, and eventually evolution. Brown’s pioneering work in plant taxonomy allowed biologists to look at the animal and plant kingdoms differently. Park’s adventures stimulated significant discoveries in exploration. Brown and Park’s adventures formed a bridge to such journeys as Charles Darwin’s voyage on H.M.S. Beagle, which led to a revolution in biology and full explication of the theory of evolution.

Transcripts of Robert Brown's diaries, supplemented with notes from the writings of Flinders and Good; Brown was the naturalist on the 'Investigator' voyage; maps and diary entries for places visited; mentions contact with Aboriginal peoples, including at: Princess Royal Harbour p. 96-99, 104-5 (includes a word list of eleven words); comments on drawings of van Diemen's land Aborigines at a meeting with Baudin at Encounter Bay, p. 179; at Sandy Cape p. 227; Bongare and Flinders interacting with local people 231-233; Nanberry and others attacked at Port Curtis p. 237-239; Keppel Bay p. 244, 258; Nanbury did not understand the language at Shoalwater Bay p. 259-260; the 'Lady Nelson' which was accompanying the 'Investigator' was sent back to Sydney, taking Nanbaree who was homesick); Murray Islands p. 290-3 (includes word list of five words and three men's names); p. 303 Pennefather River; place name for Mill Creek is Gurakarang or Yierakarang (includes word list of five plant names) p. 445-446; five kinds of kangaroo distinguished p. 446; meeting an Aboriginal party at Port Dalrymple p. 469-470; language of Van Dieman's Land collected by Brown at River Derwent (word list of 31 words) p. 482-483; visit from, then conflict with, Aborigines at Williams River (NSW) p. 553-554.