MEMOIR OF CHAMISSO. 491 
cess by insisting that every person to whom he gave plants 
for description should print their essays in this publication. 
The parcels from Schiede he assisted in distributing and 
describing, and the same by the collection of Erman which 
also appeared in those pages. 
Most of Chamisso’s botanical works were executed while 
in my company, as we sat and worked opposite to each other 
at one table, examining and determining and consulting about 
the progress of our labours. He either botanized while he 
walked by the path that leads from the city gates to Schéne- 
berg, or revolved in his mind some poem, which he speedily 
committed to paper on entering the house, so that I was 
frequently privileged to become the first depositary of his 
elegant ideas; and as my friend had not enjoyed those ad- 
vantages of early education and much reading which tend: to 
impart confidence in one’s own powers, so he was peculiarly 
glad to ask advice and he thankfully received encouragement. 
How well, however, Chamisso was able to stand alone and 
to work unaided, became evident, by his essays on many 
groups of plants which he commenced and completed with- 
out any help, at a period when severe sickness obliged me 
to discontinue my literary occupations, and to absent myself 
frequently from the Royal Herbarium which is situated at 
half a stund distance from the city gates. It is much to be 
wished that Chamisso had been more distrustful of his bodily 
powers, not risking his health by incessant exposure to rain 
wind, and snow, which caused him to contract severe colds, 
and brought on in 1833 a bad cough, from which he never 
entirely recovered, but which finally caused his death. 
Though no title or badge of honour was conferred on this 
celebrated botanist, and only an inconspicuous looking plant 
among the Amaranthacee, described by his friend Küntb, 
bears his name, yet he will long be remembered as an enter- 
prizing traveller, an industrious botanist and an author pos- 
sessed of much and varied ability in different departments of 
literature and science. 
