Gardens of the Sun: A Naturalist's Journal of Borneo and the Sulu Archipelago

The tropical, equitorial island of Borneo, with its exotic flora and fauna and fabled "head-hunters," inspired some of the most richly descriptive books to emerge from the great days of nineteenth-century exploration. One such book is F.W. Burbidge's now classic The Gardens of the Sun, first published in 1880. Although the main object of the author's journey was the collection of new plants, The Gardens of the Sun is much more than simply a naturalist's journal. Rather, it is a delightful, vividly written record of travel and discovery through what he terms "the enormous conservatories of beautiful vegetation--great Zoological Gardens inhabited by rare birds and curious animals." Little escaped Burbidge's eye during his journeys through Sarawak, Labuan, and the north of Borneo to Sulu, and he is equally at home describing his encounters with the native peoples and their customs as he is in writing of the world of nature.Burbidge, F. W. is the author of 'Gardens of the Sun: A Naturalist's Journal of Borneo and the Sulu Archipelago' with ISBN 9780195889932 and ISBN 0195889932.