By Carole Dennett
An historic journal, detailing an expedition to the Malay States, has been donated to the Natural History Museum.
The extensively illustrated journal was prepared in 1899/1900 by Dr Frank Laidlaw, who, at the age of 23, was appointed as zoologist on a scientific expedition to the area, which now forms part of Malaysia. For eight months the team travelled by river and on foot through remote unexplored jungle, gathering scientific data and specimens of birds, insects, snails and plant species.
Laidlaw said: “Our party constantly endured large land-leeches, mosquitos, giant centipedes, snakes and scorpions; we were very weary after eight months but thrilled with the natural environment and our finds. The jungle people who acted as our guides were charming and greatly assisted our research.”
The journal was the last remaining item of the Laidlaw archive, held by Professor Robin McInnes, stepson of Dr Eric Laidlaw, Frank Laidlaw’s son and former medical superintendent at the Royal National Hospital in Steephill. The album was presented by Robin and his grandson, Michael Preston, to Andrea Hart, head of special collections and archives at the museum, who said she was delighted to receive it. The Natural History Museum already holds a substantial Laidlaw archive, and this latest addition will be scanned and made available on-line.
A detailed account of the Laidlaw and McInnes families can be found in ‘Furthest South – From the Scottish Borders to the Isle of Wight’, written by Robin and published in 2021. He will be giving an illustrated presentation on the book at a Sicilian Supper Evening to be held at Café Isola in Newport in September.
