John William MacGillivray journal, 7 Jan.-21 Dec. 1848, 8 May-2 July 1849

B 1628

fonds

1848-1849

826083

Microfilm : FM4/9152

1 volume - 0.02

John MacGillivray was naturalist on the surveying voyage of HMS Rattlesnake which left England for Australia in December 1846. The 1846-1850 expedition of the Rattlesnake surveyed the Great Barrier Reef, the Louisiade Archipelago, Torres Strait, and the New Guinea coast. The exploration party suffered severe casualties including the death of the ship's Commander, Owen Stanley, in 1850.

Journal describing a journey by sea to Bass Strait and two cruises north from Sydney. The first northern cruise followed the coast northward to Cape York and Port Essington. The second voyage included the Louisiade Archipelago in New Guinea. This journal was the source for part of MacGillivray’s printed account of the voyage : ‘Narrative of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, commanded by the late Captain Owen Stanley…’, published in 1852. The journal entries correspond to chapters 3 and 4 and part of chapter 2 of volume 1. In some places the journal includes more detail than the printed work.

When the journal was acquired from the Wilcox family it was believed to be the work of James Fowler Wilcox, junior botanist on the Rattlesnake. The work has been attributed to MacGillivray following comparison of the handwriting of Wilcox at MLMSS 4578 and MacGillivray at B 944. The wording of MacGillivray’s printed text is very similar throughout and in some places is identical. MacGillivray and Wilcox are believed to have gone into business later in life, and this may be the way in which the journal came into the family’s possession.