No. 173, Saturday July 20, 1782
From Austria, July 11: His Majesty the Kaiser ordered Counsellor von Born, one of the most learned men of our Monarchy, to recommend two of his subjects that are expert in Natural History to undertake a new voyage for discoveries to America and India. Herr Heidinger, Adjunct in the Imperial Natural History Cabinet, and Doctor Märter, Professor of Natural History at the Theresianum, were proposed and selected. A gardener and painter will sail with them as well. They will voyage around Cape Horn to Ottahaite [Tahiti], from thence to the Sandwich Islands, to the Coast of America in the northern part of California, and finally to China. They both possess knowledge of all branches of natural history, and we can be confident that they will make discoveries of a greater scale and use than made hitherto, as Banks, Solander and Forster directed their attention to few other subjects of natural history besides botany. They will sail at the end of August on the ship Graf Kobenzl.
Original facsimile German text and translation courtesy of Robert King.
Updated: June 13, 2018