Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

 

Schwaner, Dr Carl Anton Ludwig Maria

 

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors)

 

Born: 1817 or 1818, Mannheim, Germany. Died: March 30, 1851, Buitenzorg, Java.

 

career:

Geologist, educated in Germany; early in 1842 appointed member of the ‘Natuurkundige Commissie’ (Commission for Natural Sciences) in the D.E.I. In August 1842 he arrived at Batavia, where he stayed 14 months; subsequently charged with the investigation of the coal-layers in Borneo. In 1848 he returned to Java to work out his scientific notes.1 In 1850 he was instructed to go to Borneo once more, but died before leaving. When in Java, he made some trips in the environs of Buitenzorg.2

The Schwaner Mountains were named after him.

 

Collecting localities:

1843-48. Borneo. Especially exploring the SE. part, in Tanah-Laut and Tanah-Boemboe: ascending the Barito to Sg. Tewe, and the latter to the watershed, following Sg. Lawa and Kendang Pahoe to Moeara Pahoe on the Mahakam; ascending the Mahakam to Long-merah, back to Sg. Ratah and ascending it, downstream the Sg. Maroewai and the Laoeng to the Barito, and back to Bandjermasin.3-1846. From Bandjermasin (Dec. 9) by proa to Martapocra (9), Sg. Raja (10), Batoe Belian (11), and back to Sg. Raja and Bandjermasin (12).-1847-48. From Bandjermasin (Oct. 25, 1847) to the Kahajan River; from the confluence with the Troesan to kp. Toesoet on the Mantohei (Nov. 2-Dec. 26); kp. Toesoet-Indang-Oreng on the Senamang (Dec. 27, 1847-Jan. 13, 1848); via the watershed between the Katingan and the Malahoei (= Melawi), and following it to Sintang (Jan. 14-28); proceeding to Pontianak (Jan. 29-Febr. 2).4

 

collections:

His entomological collection went to Leiden about 1851.

According to Veth (in l.c. sub Biogr. data), Schwaner went to Borneo accompanied by a staff including a native plant collector; elsewhere5 it is recorded that the ‘Vereeniging voor de Flora van Nederland en zijn Overzeesche Bezittingen’ offered the Dutch Government to work out the herbarium which might have been left behind by Schwaner. It is still doubtful whether he actually collected plants.

108 Drawings from the Borneo voyage were presented to the Kon. Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde at Delft (later at The Hague).

 

literature:

(1) Author of ‘Resultaten van een onderzoek naar den Baritostroom ten opzichte zijner bevaarbaarheid voor grootere vaartuigen’ (Ind. Arch. 12, 1850, p. 394-410); ‘Reis naar, en aanteekeningen betreffende de steenkolen van Baton Belian (Z.O. kust Borneo)’ (Nat. Tijdschr. N.I. 3, 1852, p. 673-688); ‘Historische, geographische en statistieke aanteekeningen betreffende Tanah Boemboe’ (revised by Netscher & Dewall in Tijdschr. Taal-, Land- en Volkenk. 1, 1853, p. 335-371); ‘Borneo. Beschrijving van het stroomgebied van de Barito en reizen langs eenige voorname rivieren van het Zuid-Oost. gedeelte van dat eiland, in 1843-47’ (Amsterdam 1853/54, 2 vols).

(2) C.A.L.M. Schwaner: ‘Geologische uitstapjes in de omstreken van Buitenzorg, vnl. op den Salak’ (Nat. Tijdschr. N.I. 5, 1853, p. 369-426).

(3) cf. Posewitz, Borneo, 1889, p. 19-20.

(4) cf. Schwaner, Borneo, etc., l.c. vol. 2; Tijdschr. Ned. Ind. 101, 1848, p. 164-166; l.c. 111, 1849, p. 144-145; l.c. 131, 1851, p. 417-418 (new instruction); Nat. Tijdschr. N.I. 11, 1856, p. 286.

(5) cf. Alg. Konst- en Letterbode 18512, p. 130.

 

biographical data:

Nat. Tijdschr. N.I. 2, 1851, p. 189-191; H.J. Veth, Overzicht van hetgeen ... gedaan is voor de kennis der Fauna van Ned. Indië, Leiden 1879, p. 99, 106, 108, 113; Sirks, Ind. Nat. Onderzoek, Amsterdam 1915, p. 120, etc.: Encyclop. N.I. 3, 1919; in the Government Register the year of birth mentioned is 1818.