After spending two years in Western and Northern Australia, Mr. Gilbert returned to England in September 1841, bringing with him the result of his labours, which proved of sufficient value and importance to induce me to believe that much yet remained to be discovered in those countries, and to direct him to return thither, which he accordingly did in the ensuing spring; and after again visiting Swan River, and sedulously exploring the interior so far as practicable, he proceeded to Sydney, and, unfortunately for himself, allowed his love of science, in the advancement of which no one was more ardent, to induce him to join Dr. Leichardt in his overland journey from Moreton Bay to Port Essington. On this expedition, he, as usual, displayed his wonted zeal and activity until the 28th of June, when, the party being treacherously attacked by the natives, his valuable life was sacrificed, I lost a most able coadjutor, and science has to deplore one of her most devoted servants; fortunately, however, in despite of the many difficulties and dangers which beset the party during the remainder of their journey, his journals and notes, together with the specimens he had been able to procure, were preserved and transmitted to me by Dr. Leichardt, and proved of valuable assistance in determining the range of many of the species.
My own researches commenced immediately after passing the Equator, from whence, throughout the entire route to Australia, I omitted no opportunity of studying the habits, and collecting the different species of the oceanic birds that came under my notice: these observations were again resumed on my return to England; and as the outward passage was by the Cape of Good Hope, and the homeward one by Cape Horn, they extended round the globe, and, as will be seen in the course of the work, have led to some important results. And here I must acknowledge my obligations to the various captains with whom I sailed, namely Captain M^cKellar of the “Parsee,” which vessel conveyed me to Van Diemen’s Land; Captain Harding of the “Black Joke,” in which I proceeded from Launceston to Adelaide; Captain Fell of the “Catherine Stewart Forbes,” in which I returned from Adelaide to Hobart Town; Captain Gilchrist of the “Potentate,” in which I sailed from Hobart Town to Sydney; and Lieutenant Mallard, R.N., of the “Kinnear,” which brought me to England; all of whom rendered me every assistance in their power, and the use of a boat and crew whenever the weather would admit of one being lowered, by which means I was enabled to obtain nearly forty species of Petrel, being the finest collection of the _Procellaridæ_ ever brought together.