Narrative of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by the Austrian Frigate Novara, Volume III: (Commodore B. Von Wullerstorf-Urbair,) Undertaken by Order of the Imperial Government in the Years 1857, 1858, & 1859, Under the Immediate Auspices of His I. and R. Highness the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, Commander-In-Chief of the

In Short

This narrative chronicles the final leg of an Austrian scientific mission that circumnavigated the globe between 1857 and 1859. Authorized by the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, the expedition sought to survey trade routes, study natural history, and analyze the socio-political structures of distant lands. What distinguishes this account is its encyclopedic scope: the text drifts seamlessly from rigorous geological observations and penal system critiques to intimate portraits of colonial society in Sydney, New Zealand, and South America. The work has endured because it serves as a precise time capsule, preserving the intellectual climate, prejudices, and exploratory fervor of a mid-Victorian era determined to categorize, extract, and understand the disparate corners of the earth before they were irrevocably changed by industrial expansion.

The Story

The narrative begins in the bustling, burgeoning colony of Sydney, where the expedition finds a microcosm of British economic success. The authors observe the rapid growth of public works, the expansion of rail, and the complex, often fraught, integration of German immigrants into the local agricultural economy. From Australia, the voyage transitions to New Zealand, offering a detailed, sympathetic, yet ultimately detached view of the Maori people. The text records the traditional hospitality and rapidly evolving agrarian habits of the Maori—who are seen building mills and navigating English markets—even as it predicts their eventual decline in the face of colonial encroachment and land disputes.

As the frigate moves into the Pacific, the tone shifts toward the ethnographic and the botanical. In Tahiti, the expedition encounters the remnants of missionary influence, noting with mild regret the decline of local spiritual institutions under the French Protectorate. The authors document everything from the culinary uses of local tubers to the complex, ritualized preparation of kawa. Throughout these descriptions, there is a recurring preoccupation with the "civilizing" influence of labor and family structures, particularly in their analysis of the Pitcairn Islanders, whose descendants are viewed through the lens of a "physiological" struggle between their troubled ancestry and the necessity of finding a place in a structured society.

The journey continues to the west coast of South America, where the narrative finds a more intellectual and political focus. In Chile, the crew enjoys the hospitality of the German expatriate community, observing how European political tensions—specifically those involving Napoleon III—reverberate even among those living at the foot of the Andes. In Peru, the scope narrows to the study of ancient mummies, the mechanics of skull deformation, and the revolutionary religious dissent brewing within the local Catholic Church. The expedition’s curiosity is relentless; they analyze the production of coca leaves with a scientific precision that leads to the discovery of cocaine, marking the intersection of traditional indigenous knowledge and emerging European chemistry.

The voyage concludes with the return to the Mediterranean. As the Novara enters the Adriatic, the sense of mission is replaced by the relief of homecoming. The final passages describe the reunion with the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian and the official completion of the voyage. However, the appendices and closing reflections leave the reader with a broader perspective: the expedition was not merely a maritime journey, but an exercise in mapping the moral and material assets of a globe that the authors believed was being knit together by trade, law, and the relentless application of scientific inquiry.

How It Unfolds

The colonial observation begins in Sydney, where the authors examine the economic framework of British colonies, noting the efficiency of their infrastructure and the peculiar, sometimes messy, social habits of the settlers.

The encounter with indigenous cultures follows, as the narrative shifts to New Zealand and the Pacific islands. The authors analyze the Maoris' transition toward Western agricultural practices, contrasting their peaceful hospitality with the looming inevitability of their marginalization.

The shift to scientific inquiry occurs in the South American chapters, where the focus turns to the physical and chemical properties of local flora and the historical study of indigenous funerary customs.

The political reflection deepens in Peru, where the authors engage with local intellectuals who challenge the status quo of the Church, signaling a broader, global shift toward modernization.

The homecoming concludes the narrative in the Adriatic, where the crew is greeted by the Austrian elite. The final sections reflect on the logistical success of the voyage, framing it as a triumph of Austrian statecraft and German scientific discipline.

The People

The figures in this narrative are less individual protagonists than representatives of a changing world order. Dr. Karl Scherzer acts as the primary voice, a man of profound curiosity whose scientific detachment often masks a paternalistic worldview. He is a collector of facts—whether these are mineral specimens or the words of a Maori chief—who believes firmly in the power of "civilization" to improve or organize human life.

The Commodore, B. von Wullerstorf-Urbair, remains a dignified, largely silent authority figure whose leadership ensures the expedition’s cohesion. He serves as the face of the Austrian state, navigating diplomatic encounters in Sydney and Valparaiso with a focus on institutional protocol.

Madame R—, an Austrian musician in Sydney, provides a brief, poignant glimpse into the human cost of colonial instability. Her story of financial ruin followed by personal triumph through hard work serves as a touchstone for the authors, who emphasize her energy as the ideal antidote to the failures of the market.

The Maori chiefs—notably Paora Tuhaera and Hui Haupapa—are portrayed as articulate, dignified, and tragically aware of their position. They represent the "noble" but doomed subject of the colonial project, embracing the white man's laws while the authors observe their resistance to extinction. Finally, figures like Father Vigil in Peru represent the "internal" critics of the era, challenging the role of the Church and monasticism in a way that suggests the authors were looking for allies in their own vision of a rational, labor-focused society.

In Its Own Voice

The dialect which now saluted our ears unmistakeably proved that we were domiciled in an Irish house.

(Reflecting on the cultural idiosyncrasies of colonial settlers in the Australian bush.)

It is not Catholicism that has made the majority of Catholic nations lag so woefully in the career of progress, but that which Catholicism has suffered to be mixed up with it,--the Inquisition and Monasticism.

(A Peruvian priest critiquing his own institution to the author, much to the author's surprise.)

The "Mutiny of the Bounty" was followed by a natural reaction.

(The author analyzing the psychological legacy of the Pitcairn Islanders and their sense of inherent dependence.)

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is an argument for the superiority of a structured, industrious, and rationalized world. It views the globe as an interconnected laboratory where European methods—specifically those involving agriculture, law, and chemistry—can and should be applied to maximize utility. The text is deeply concerned with the "improvement" of societies, whether that involves reforming the penal system in Australia, analyzing the efficacy of coca production in Bolivia, or observing the transition of the Maori from tribal warfare to market-based farming. There is an underlying tension between a genuine, almost childlike wonder at the natural beauty and diversity of the world and a rigid conviction that everything, from the shape of a human skull to the theology of a foreign church, is subject to classification and eventual modernization. It is a document of the Victorian belief that science is the ultimate tool of both understanding and governance.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the slow, deliberate pace of nineteenth-century travelogues will find much to admire here. This is not a book for those seeking quick thrills; it is a dense, rewarding document that rewards the patient reader with vivid, granular details about a world that has largely vanished. You will feel the weight of the era—its intense curiosity, its scientific hubris, and its often-unfiltered colonial perspective.

The prose is precise and dignified, conveying a sense of intellectual adventure that feels both archaic and strikingly modern. However, modern readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes embedded in the narrative. The authors carry a strong, often unexamined bias regarding the "necessity" of colonization and the perceived "backwardness" of indigenous populations, which can be jarring. You will find that the text is not a neutral record, but an active, opinionated participant in the imperial discourse of its day.

Despite these limitations, the book’s value lies in its honesty about what the expedition saw and what it ignored. The descriptions of landscapes, from the "romantic savage solitudes" of Australian mountain passes to the "Eden-like loveliness" of the coast, are truly evocative. If you are interested in the history of science, the mechanics of how the nineteenth century perceived the "other," or simply the romantic, grueling reality of a multi-year voyage around the globe, this narrative remains a essential, if demanding, piece of historical literature. It leaves you with a lingering sense of the vastness of the world as it was then—and a sobering look at the forces that were already beginning to shrink it.