BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 163 
important charge of the hot-house department in the Horti- 
cultural Society’s garden, is to proceed, under the auspices of 
that Society, to China, for the purpose of introducing new 
Plants and fruits to this country. His leisure time, however, 
will be devoted to collecting and drying the vegetable 
productions of that new and hitherto unexplored region, and 
we are happy to learn that these collections, well selected 
and well preserved, will be offered to botanists on similar 
terms to those of South America gathered by Hartweg. 
Thus, by this important mission, botany and horticulture 
will be alike promoted. | 
South African Botany. 
In the 2nd vol. of our Journal of Botany, it will be seen 
that in November, 1839, M. Zeyher, the Afncan traveller 
and botanist, was about to proceed on an expedition to the 
north, in the interior of South Africa, for the purpose of 
collecting animals and plants. This extensive journey was 
Planned and executed wholly at the expense of the Right 
Hon. the Earl of Derby. One of his Lordship's own gar- 
deners, Mr. Burke, than whom few were better fitted for 
"e enterprise, was sent out to take charge of this expedi- 
tion, He reached the Cape on the 16th of March, 1840, 
and after spending a few days in visiting Ludwigsberg, and 
getting his luggage on shore, he proceeded to Vyge-Kraal, 
Né. waggon was already provided; but six weeks were 
required to procure the oxen and make the necessary prepa- 
rations, when he proceeded in an easterly direction to Uiten- 
hage, where he was joined by Zeyher, with two waggons. 
ence they started for the interior, collecting every where as 
Went along ; and at length, amidst unheard of difficulties, 
"©Y proceeded in a northerly direction, crossing the Orange 
. "Yet, till they attained nearly to the 24th degree of latitude, 
and then returned to the Cape, bringing with them an im- 
mense collection of living and dead animals, and dried plants, - 
‘Seeds, bulbs, ete, With these, Mr. Burke E em- 
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