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338 植物研究雑誌第69 巻第5 号 平成 6 年 10 月 Carl Carl Peter Thunberg's Life ， Travels and Scientific Contributions R. R. B. NORDENSTAM Swedish Swedish Museum of Natural History P.O. P.O. Box 50007 ，S-10405 ，Stockholm ，SWEDEN Linnaeus Linnaeus (1707-1778) ， the greatest Swedish sci- exercitio under Linnaeus and passed his academic entist entist of all times ， never travelled outside Europe ， but degrees quickly. In 1770 he gr :;t duated as a licentiate he sent his disciples on longjoumeys of exploration to and in the same year defended a doctoral dissertation remote remote and sometimes unknown parts of the world. under the medical professor Sidr 釦. Many of these Linnaean apostles suffered from hard- Linnaeus was instrumental in providing Thunberg ships ships of travels and tropical diseases and several of with a small travel grant for studies abroad. The them died in foreign countries. Carl Peter Th unberg destination was P 紅白， the medical centre of the world. became the most successful of these apostles. He Thunberg travelled via Copenhagen by the sea to survived survived a nine-year joumey to distant continents and Amsterdam ，where he visited Johannes and Nicolaas after after his retum to Sweden held the Linnaean chair in Laurens Burman ，father and son ， both friends 組 d Botany and Medicine at the University ofUppsala for correspondents of Linnaeus. 44 years. The Burmans were impressed with Th unberg's Carl Carl Peter Th unberg was bom on N ov. 11 ，1743 ， in knowledge in natural history and suggested that he thetownofJ 凸nk 凸ping in SouthemSweden ， the son of should go with a Dutch East Indiaman to some exotic a local tradesman and bookkeeper. He became father- destination. Th unberg consented gladly ， but had to go less less at the age of seven ， but his mother re-married through with the planned studies in Paris ，where he another another trader by name of Gabriel Forsberg and man- spent almost a year. In the meantime the destination aged to provide a decent upbringing to her two sons. had become defined to Japan ， the plants of which were Carl Carl Peter was meant to go into merchandise after a practically unknown in the Westem World and be- minimum of school attendance ， but his talents for lieved to be suitable for European gardens. studies studies were soon discovered. He passed all grades of Gardening was fashionable in Holland at the time ， the the local school and in 1761 he enrolled at the Univer- and exotic plants were much in demand. It was easy to sity sity of Uppsala. Having finished the compulsory find sponsors for the project ，and three patrons were courses courses in theology ， philosophy and public law he especially helpfu l. They were Jan van der Poll ， Daniel specialized specialized in chemistry ， medicine and natural his- ten Hove and Daniel Deutz ，and all were later com 四 tory. tory. During his nine years of university studies he memorated in genera described by Thunberg. Po l/i α， naturally naturally came in contact with Li nnaeus ，who soon H ovenia and Deutzia are all known in horticulture ， took took notice of the talented young student with a and especially the deutzias 訂 e garden favourites with specialliking specialliking for natural history. a large number of species ， hybrids and cultivars. In In 1767 Thunberg defended a medical thesis pro Since 1635 Japan was closed tothe Westem World October October 1994 Joumal of Japanese Botany Vo l. 69 No. 5 339 except except Holland and China ，and in Thunberg's days and the Company' s garden ，which supplied fruits and only only Dutch ships were allowed to visit with two ships vegetables to the seafarers. The Cape of Good Hope a year. Th unberg had to appear as a Dutchman ， and for was generally regarded as the southemmost point of this this purpose it was decided ，that he should spend some Africa. The contempor 訂 y maps are deficient in this years years at the Dutch Colony at the Cape ， to learn the respect and generally poor. Sparrman' s map ，drawn in language ， but also to explore the flora of South Africa. 1775-76 and published in his travelogue (1783) ，is Ar ound New Year 1772 Thunberg sailed from more accurate and clearly shows Cape Agulhas as the Holland Holland as an extra surgeon on board the “ Schoonzigt" southemmost poin t. in in a convoy of four ships. The voyage lasted three and Thunberg was soon familiar with Table Mountain ， a half months ，and 115 men died on Thunberg' s ship which he climbed altogether 15 times. He also made on the way. This may seem a large figure ， but it was a longer excursion in June to the wine districts of Paarl quite quite normal to lose perhaps one third of the crew and andPrench Hoek ，where Prench Huguenots had planted soldiers ，who were to a large extent recruited by vinyeards already in the 17th century. Wh en spring- obscure obscure methods and often in a poor health condition. time approached Thunberg prepared for his first long Soon after embarkment Thunberg and the officers expedition in the Colony ，by ox carts and on horse- on board had the misfortune to be poisoned ，when the bac k. He travelled with three European companions cook by mistake mixed white lead in the pancakes. (the Company's gardener J. A. Auge and two young Nobody died from this mishap ， but Thunberg was officers) as well as two domesticated Hottentots. The very very sick ， having eaten one of the last pancakes ，rich p訂 ty set out in the beginning of September when in in lead. Although Th unberg eventually recovered spring flowers abounded everywhere in the plains from the poisoning ，he afterwards suffered from stom- after rich winter rains. ach ach troubles all his life. Characteristically ，Th unberg The expedition ，which lasted four months ，first recorded recorded thoroughly the effects and after-effects of went north but soon southeastwards to Swellendam ， the the poisoning in an article published in 1773 by the from where they eastwards continued in the Colony. Swedish Academy of Sciences - his first scientific Travelling was dangerous in many areas; roads and publication. publication. tracks were bad ，and wild life was abundant ， in some On April 16 1772 the ship anchored in Table Bay ， 訂 eas including lions ，leopards ，buffaloes ，rhinoes and and on the following day Thunberg could go ashore. elephants. In a wood ne 訂 Knysna they were attacked By coincidence his compatriot and friend Anders by a buffalo bull killing two horses and chasing the Sparrman arrived simultaneously on board a Swedish men up the nearest trees. Eventually they reached the East East Indiaman. Th ey spent some time together at the eastem border of the Colony at Gamtoos River ，where Cape ， but they soon parted ，Sparrman going with hippos were frequent. Hottentots and Caffres lived Captain Captain Cook on his second voyage to the South Seas. there together ，and beyond the river lay the unex- Wh en Spar 百 nan retumed three ye 訂 slater to explore plored Caffir country. the the Cape ，Thunberg had recently departed and was on They tumed back along partly new tracks ，and his his way to Java and Japan. after New Year 1773 they were back in Cape Town ， Thunberg spent the winter at the Cape ，getting where Thunberg remained until next spring. He was acquainted acquainted to Cape Town and its immediate sur- busy with his specimens and dispatched generous roundings. roundings. The settlement was still rather modest ， the p征 cels of dried plants ， bulbs and seeds to his friends most conspicuous features being the citadel ，the church ， and benefactors in Holland and Sweden ，including 340 植物研究雑誌第69 巻第5 号 平成 6 年 10 月 his his mentor Linnaeus. lowerkarooareas. JustbeforetheNew YearThunberg 1n 1n September a new expedition was prepared ， and and his party was back in Cape Town. as as fellow traveller Thunberg now had the English Thunberg's stay at the Cape came to an end ， and gardener gardener Francis Masson ，who had a fine cart and a in March 1775 he could continue towards his final European European coachman. They also took saddle-horses destination ， Japan. On the way he stayed one month in and and four Hottentots along. Again they joumeyed Java ，where he mixed with the European colonists ， northwards northwards and traversed rivers and mountains with made excursions ， and bought unicom (i. e. ， narwhal) difficulty. difficulty. Following a similar route as on the first homs ，which could be sold with profit in Japan. joumey they arrived 剖 Swellendam and from there 1n August he arrived in the harbour of Nagasaki ， proceeded proceeded eastwards. This time they crossed the where all foreign visitors were confined to the little Gamtoos River and reached as far as Sundays River ， islet called Deshima. His freedom of movement was north north of present -day Port Elizabeth. Among the abun- very limited ， and only after half a year he managed to dant dant wild life there were also quaggas ，now extinc t. get a temporary permit to make excursions in the For For safety reasons Thunberg enforced his party with surroundings of Nagasaki. a troop ofHottentots ， and at times they were more than 1n 1776 Thunberg was allowed to join the Dutch one one hundred persons. European colonization was legation on its annual visit to the shogun's court in prohibited prohibited in this area ， but Thunberg nevertheless Edo ，which is now Tokyo. They travelled mainly by found found a farmer who had settled illegally in the area. norimon (palanquin) along good main roads ， and the They retumed along a more northerly route than on joumey lasted four months.