WOOD, John. Perth, Scotland 1812 — London 13.11.1871. British (Scottish) Naval Officer in India and Traveller in Central Asia. Educated at Perth Academy, in 1826 joined the E.I.C.’s navy. “Commanded the first [steam] vessel, the Indus, in the navigation of the Indus river, 1835-6; Assistant to Burnes in his commercial mission to Afghanistan, 1836; reported on the Kabul Valley, discovered the source of the Oxus river.“ Then retired from navy, spent a year in New Zealand and after a visit to London returned to India. ”In 1858, Manager of the Oriental Steam Navigation Co. in Sind. Superintendent of the Indus steam flotilla from 1861.” Died 14 days after his return to England (Buckland errs claiming that he died in Sind – Rawlinson) Much appreciated as cartographer.
Publications: A Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Source of the Oxus. 8+424 p. L. 1841.
– Twelve Months in Wellington. 66 p. L. 1843 (on his stay in New Zealand).
Sources: Buckland, Dictionary; Rawlinson, JRGeoSoc 1872, clviif.; Wikipedia.
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