Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

 

Hunstein, Carl

 

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

 

Born: ± 1843, Homburg, Hesse-Kassel, Germany.

Died: March 13, 1888, NW. coast of New Britain, Bismarck Archipelago.

 

career:

Beginning as a housepainter; emigrated to America, subsequently proceeded via San Francisco to New Zealand, in order to join the Thames Goldfield diggings; passed to Queensland on a similar occupation and joined the second or third lot of diggers which started from Cookstown to Port Moresby. The gold-digging proved a failure and he took to collecting specimens of natural history, occasionally in company with others. Since 1885 in the employ of the German New Guinea Company.

The Hunstein Mts and several plants were named in his honour.

 

Collecting localities:

SE. New Guinea, Papua. ? 1878. In company with some other diggers penetrating into the Horse-shoe Mts1-From 1879-83 several tours with A. Goldie (see there) and Capt. Redlich.-1882. With Finsch (see there) on a trip up the Laloki River.-1884. From Port Moresby over Astrolabe Range, via Taburi and Sogeri to Meroka, from where exploring the environs, e.g. climbing the Horse-shoe Mts (discovering a new Rhododendron).5-NE. New Guinea, former Kaiser-Wilhelmsland. 1885. Left behind by Finsch in Bentley Bay for the management of Blumenthal Station; on June 25 Finsch learned that in the meanwhile the station had changed into British hands again and in consequence Hunstein was sent to the Killerton Islands, where he was called for in Nov. by the expedition under command of R. Mentzel-1886. Towards the end of Jan. stationed at Hatzfeldhafen. Visiting the mouth of Kaiserin Augusta (= Sepik) River (Apr. 4, with Mentzel); Gulf of Langemak with Hollrung (May 10); Bogidu with Hollrung; in June in the ‘Ottilie’ under von Schleinitz (in company with Hollrung and Schrader) to the Kaiserin Augusta River (ascending it part of the way; cf. itiner. sub Hollrung).2-Towards the end of the year exploration of the interior part of the Gulf of Huon: Samoa-Hafen (Nov. 29), Markham River, and back at Finschhafen (Dec. 13).-1887. In bivouac NE of Bagili (Apr. 1) (cf. sub Hollrung), staying in the region between Alexis-Hafen and the Gabaron (Apr. 22-28) too.-1888. In company with St. von Kotze making 2 larger tours from Butaučng (S of Finschhafen): by sea to Kualsan (S of Schneiderhafen) (Jan. 20), from where climbing the Lugaučng Mts via Mt Ulama and the basin of the Bu Kau Imbang; on the voyage back on foot from Schneiderhafen along the coast to Butaučng; the 24th setting out to the watershed of the Bu Bui and the river debouching N of Finschhafen (reaching the same in 2 days).3 In the ‘Samoa’ (Febr. 16) to the region W of Kelana. Sailing from Finschhafen again (March 4) to inspect the mountains situated on the W. coast of New Britain (= Neu Pommern), Bismarck Archipelago, to consider the possibility of making coffee plantations; on the 13th he and many others lost their lives by a tidal wave.4

 

collections:

Mainly birds, but plants too. The older plant collections (1878-84) probably in Herb. Melbourne [MEL];5 the ones made during his term of office with the German New Guinea Comp., probably with the latter’s herbarium in Herb. Berl. [B].6

 

literature:

(1) cf. Wichmann, Entd. Gesch. N.G., in Nova Guinea; refers to O. Finsch & A.B. Meyer, Vögel von Neu Guinea (Zeitschr. ges. Ornithol. Budapest 2, 1885, p. 369).

(2) cf. Nachr. Kais. Wilh. Land 2, 1886, p. 6, 62, 67-69, 87, 89, 91, 122, 123.

(3) cf. l.c. 4, 1888, p. 59.

(4) cf. l.c. 4, 1888, p. 71, 76-79, 147-149.

(5) F. von Mueller: ‘Record of a new Papuan Rhododendron’ (Vict. Naturalist 1, 1884, p. 101-102); cf. also in Gartentlora 34, 1885, p. 54-55.

(6) cf. Schumann, Die Flora von Kaiser Wilhelms Land, Berlin 1889.

 

biographical data:

Zeitschr. ges. Ornith. Budapest 2, 1885, p. 369-372; Ibis ser. 6, vol. 2, London 1890, p. 267-268; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936.