130 
advanced thus far on my way to Peru,” &c. Intelligence of the 
declining state of a beloved parent’s health, induced our friend 
to sacrifice his own inclinations and his ardent thirst for science 
to filial duty. He could not have accomplished the Peruvian 
journey but by an absence of several more years from his 
friends; and he therefore altered his plans, and instead of 
terminating his travels at Buenos Ayres, decided on proceed- 
ing to Para, and thence embarking for England. This, too, 
was necessarily a work of time. The conveyance of collec- 
tions, baggage, and instruments, over a country like this,” 
says he, ‘ is attended by difficulties that nothing but patience 
can overcome; especially as I travel in the same solitary, 
unassisted manner as in Africa. How different are the fea- 
tures of nature in South America and in the Highlands of 
Scotland! I often think of the pleasant excursion we made 
there together. In this country of illiteracy, no one is found to 
whom notions of science are intelligible. Here nature has 
done much—man nothing: here she offers him innumer- 
able objects of admiration and study, and strews gold and - 
diamonds beneath his feet, yet be continues vegetating iM 
the darkness of igadtarta and in extreme poverty, the conse- 
quence of laziness alone." 
Mr. Burchell still journeyed northward from Goyaz, anda 
November, 1828, reached Porto-Real. Here he remained till 
the proper season for embarking and descending the river 
(which is at all times rendered dangerous by numerous 
falls, rapids, and whirlpools,) making considerable collections 
on ground over which no scientific traveller had ever passed. 
He completed a survey of the whole length of this voyage 
fixed by numerous astronomical observations, and 
arrived at the city of Para, in June, 1829, where he 
till the following February fora convenient opportunity | 
embarking for England. | 
In a letter written to us from Fulham, dated October 
1830, he says, ** I hope that the time will soon come when I 
may enter upon the great and interesting task of arranging 
my collections. For I now possess about 15,000 species of 
plants, all gathered by my own hands in their natural places 
